Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna - Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, first, on the claims in the Motion that the Government ignored forecasts: I reject that. I table Disaster Relief Service Guidelines No. 01/2025 issued by the Ministry of Defence on 21 January 2025 — prepared in November before Michaung arrived — which established advance procedures for assistance, evacuation, restoration, and compensation in any disaster. These guidelines empowered District and Divisional Secretaries to act immediately, even before new instructions were issued.

¶ 02 The guidelines clearly set out the composition of: - Grama-level Disaster Management and Relief Committees (convened by the Grama Niladhari, including religious leaders, school principals, economic development and Samurdhi officers, as well as NGO and volunteer representatives); - Divisional-level Committees (chaired by the Divisional Secretary, with religious leaders, health officers, planning, local authority heads, and room for NGOs/volunteers); - District-level Committees (chaired by the District Secretary).

¶ 03 Thus, claims that party organisers controlled relief are baseless.

¶ 04 On roads and infrastructure: considering the scale, many routes have been made passable quickly, with temporary bridges and byways in places. Two months have not yet elapsed; not everything can be done at once.

¶ 05 On Opposition participation in District Coordinating Committees: there is no bar; Members are allowed to participate.

¶ 06 Regarding a letter purportedly from the Divisional Secretaries’ association warning of withdrawal: no Divisional Secretary or their union has said they will withdraw from duties. They sought clarifications, which we discussed. Given the unprecedented scale, their role has been vital. I witnessed DSs and Divisional officers working days without rest in Puttalam. Where issues arose, we clarified them and continue to resolve concerns.

¶ 07 On death compensation: according to the Registrar General, 525 deaths have been legally confirmed with death certificates issued; compensation is being paid to most of those families. In Badulla, payments lagged due to verification bottlenecks; five families have been paid and another 14 scheduled by Friday. Elsewhere, payments are proceeding.

¶ 08 As to the President’s remarks on Rs. 1 million per corrugated-sheet house: those living in such vulnerable structures reflect long-standing neglect. We are providing Rs. 500,000 for partial damage and higher amounts based on assessment for total loss, with proper valuation.

¶ 09 To a Nuwara Eliya Member’s claim that people are being forced back into risk areas: if a site is hazardous, we will not rehouse people there. Those who held ministerial office before also had responsibility to uplift estate Tamil communities. Under the President’s guidance, we will ensure they receive all due relief.

¶ 10 Thank you.