The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Minister. If the 5,000 kg in Batticaloa is outside your scheme, I am not aware of any other program. If 4 million kg are being allocated to Batticaloa, and if the scheme prioritizes under-5-acre owners, that fits our profile; we will monitor delivery over the coming year.

¶ 02 But merely distributing seedlings will not revive the coconut industry; palms require 5–8 years before returns. Unlike other sectors that get ongoing support, coconuts need at least 5 years of sustained support.

¶ 03 You also spoke of giving hybrid seedlings—two per government institution—but none have reached Batticaloa. You can do more.

¶ 04 On estate wages: before elections, your unions said they would not accept less than Rs. 2,300. Now they say Rs. 1,700, and even that without clear timelines, while public servants were promised raises after April. Your pre- and post-election positions differ; the people will judge.

¶ 05 In the North and Batticaloa, paddy farmers registered under 117 receive grants including fertilizer subsidies. But for onion and chilli farmers, there are no such concessions, as you may say they fall under Agriculture, not your Ministry. I urge you to bring support for greenhouse chilli and similar high-yield ventures under your purview or through coordination, as these are crucial in areas like Kaludaweli in my district. While 400,000 coconut palms are at risk, paddy farmers registered under 117 get benefits; others do not. Please focus on this gap.

¶ 06 Further, a large-scale fraud occurred in the Eastern Province through your Ministry’s recommendation. In Muttur, Safinagar, lands were given for chilli cultivation, citing a Plantation Ministry recommendation. Using that, they diverted Mahaweli water, claiming need for irrigation, and illegally extracted river sand. Officials, including then DG of GSMB, Sajjana de Silva, were involved. When the present Environment State Minister Anton Jayakody’s work was suspended—an unjust act—I spoke here, as did now-President Anura Kumara. A banner at GSMB displayed my and the President’s photos thanking the AG’s Department for initiating inquiries against Sajjana de Silva. The AG’s Department has since advised that Mr. de Silva cannot be appointed as Senior Director (Mines) after his DG appointment was quashed by Court of Appeal (Writ 140/2021). Yet he has been appointed again to a senior post.

¶ 07 Hon. Minister, as someone who opposed corruption publicly, please inquire. Without a Plantation Ministry recommendation, such “chilli” projects granting land and enabling sand mining should not occur. The Wellanawal bridge is now at risk of collapse due to this sand extraction. I can send you all reports, including on “Uptown Ventures,” which obtained large acreages purportedly for chilli. If your government continues to shelter such individuals, it is a grave issue.

¶ 08 I will not be present on the day the Environment heads are debated; therefore, as this misuse involved a Plantation Ministry recommendation, please act and clarify whether this appointment was made by someone in your Ministry or your party. The same individual who suspended the current State Minister’s work is now in office again—this raises serious suspicion.