The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Ministry of Plantations and Community Infrastructure.

¶ 02 First, I thank the Hon. Minister for promising to provide ten perches and individual houses to our estate workers. I express my gratitude.

¶ 03 We should discuss this Ministry in two parts: the Plantation Ministry (tea, etc.) and the Community Infrastructure Ministry. First, on plantations. Before 1992, estates were under foreign management; then they were divided between the Janawasama (SLSPC) and Usawasama (JEDB). Subsequently, various governments divided lands – 50 acres, 100 acres – allocating to different entities, including regional boards and companies. Leaders like the late Saumyamoorthy Thondaman argued for privatization to save the estates. Accordingly, in 1992, the estates were given to 23 companies. Otherwise, there would be no estates today. For example, in Hatton, compare SLSPC estates with company estates. Janawasama-owned Mount Jean and Kuda Oya, Agal estates are finished – no tea, no cultivation. So we should not blame that generation; without the 1992 change, all estates would be gone.

¶ 04 Estates are preserved today because of the people. Tea estates must be protected; otherwise both the industry and people are finished. To protect tea, you must work with the people, not only with wild animals. Therefore, Hon. Minister, please take steps to safeguard the estates.

¶ 05 I listened to your speech – you focused much on coconut. That is important, but we hope equal focus on tea and rubber too.

¶ 06 Another issue: leases are for 50 years; about 30 have elapsed; 20 remain. No development is done because companies know leases end in 20 years. So, either amend the agreements’ conditions or cancel them – but communicate clearly and establish terms so that work proceeds. Currently, no fertilizer or agrochemicals are applied because they think they will leave soon. A tea bush’s productive life is 50–100 years. Please address this.

¶ 07 Further, in some estates, conditions are worse than colonial times. For instance, at Bogawana Estate in Bogawantalawa, the superintendent has blocked the road near the factory, saying residents should not use it. What right does he have? He only holds a lease. How can he bar people from the estate road? Impose strong conditions in leases to prevent such conduct. People even cannot go by bus on that road.

¶ 08 Similarly, for electricity, residents must go to the superintendent, obtain letters to CEB – who are they to block electricity connections? Please change this system. Likewise, on wages: whatever we say, employers claim only if their association agrees can they pay a Rs. 1,700 basic wage. Please take appropriate steps to ensure this is paid.

¶ 09 In the plantation areas today there are about 64,740 individual houses; 28,082 twin cottages; 70,444 single barrack rooms; 65,679 double barrack rooms; 10,891 temporary sheds. During the tenure of former Minister Chandrasekaran, the individual housing programme in the upcountry began. Continue such programmes. Also, create housing schemes for estate staff and for teachers serving in estates.

¶ 10 Address malnutrition and improve child health. In Nuwara Eliya and elsewhere, 163 factories are closed. The President knows these facts well and has said that young men are now doing domestic work; we must stop this. Take back some of the closed factories – at least 25 – and restart them to create local employment, reducing migration to Colombo.

¶ 11 The President has proposed we refer to “Malaiyaha people,” not “estate people.” You spoke much of smallholder tea – good. Today smallholders produce about 70 percent; company estates about 30 percent. Treat smallholders appropriately. Create mechanisms: can they be allocated one or two acres, or plots, so they truly belong to the small industry segment?

¶ 12 Another point: now government builds roads, hospitals, schools in estates, while companies pluck, harvest and sell tea and take the money, doing little else. Provide alternatives; require companies to meaningfully contribute.

¶ 13 People placed great trust in the NPP and formed this government. In Nuwara Eliya alone, five MPs were elected from that party, across Sinhala and Tamil communities; two from Badulla, including Hon. Ambika. Do not betray that trust. We will help if good is done for our people.

¶ 14 Estate people face many issues: housing, sanitation, social, education and basic infrastructure. Tea estates are not being maintained. The Clean Sri Lanka programme proposes cleaning 90 “lines”; whether it is 90 or 900 is unclear, but 90 will not suffice. Estates have become jungles, home to wild animals. Use Clean Sri Lanka to comprehensively address this.

¶ 15 The President also wants various developments in estates. You spoke of smart classrooms. The Indian Government has allocated substantial funds; please add your allocation and implement smart classrooms in estate schools. We gave two acres each to 365 schools earlier; provide additional two acres where needed.

¶ 16 Law and order: daily we hear of crimes. On Facebook I saw a post that former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon and “Sevwandhi” are missing, and had you been in the Opposition they would already be arrested, but now in government they are not. Whether a joke or truth, please act consistently. You spoke a lot in Opposition; you identified and prosecuted many. Do so now too. If it is good for the country, we will support you. Finally, I repeat: ten perches, and single houses – that is all I ask. Thank you.