The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran

¶ 01 I congratulate the National People’s Power for forming the Government with over 6.8 million votes, and all newly elected Members. I thank the Tamil people of Ampara District who voted for us, safeguarding our presence and identity there.

¶ 02 I welcome the President’s pledge to build a prosperous nation free of racism and religious extremism. However, we are concerned that his address did not outline a solution to the ethnic problem, although he has often promised both inside and outside this House to resolve the Tamil people’s issues. That omission pains us.

¶ 03 In our area there are multiple problems. There are practical obstacles to devolving full powers to new Divisional Secretariats. The Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat received Cabinet approval in 1993 to function independently, yet to this day it has not been granted full powers. There is still no permanent Accountant appointed, only a temporary one.

¶ 04 Sri Lanka has 331 Divisional Secretariats. In the Ministry of Public Administration circular 14/60516, Kalmunai North was originally listed but now appears to have been removed for political reasons. Powers due to it have been deliberately obstructed. This Government has an obligation to confer full powers to that Secretariat, and to create additional Secretariats in our district because people must travel 34–50 kilometres for services. A Secretariat should be established centred on Komari and another on Malwatte.

¶ 05 We also need new Education Zones. Around Kalmunai, centred on Komari, there are 57 Tamil schools; please establish a new Zone to foster educational development.

¶ 06 We are alarmed by ilmenite sand mining activity advancing in Thirukkovil. Preliminary works are underway; drone cameras are mapping areas. If this continues, people will face grave problems, and local resources will be destroyed. Ancestral lands may be affected. Stop this immediately.

¶ 07 There are many more issues in our region. We stand ready to work beyond all divisions to build a country free of corruption, fraud, bribery and racism.