The Hon. (Dr.) Sellaththamby Thilaganathan

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, the 2025 Budget allocates substantial funds for Northern Province development, notably Rs. 5,000 million to improve rural roads across Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mannar, apportioned roughly equally. Many roads were damaged by past disasters, hindering farmers from bringing produce to market and disrupting transport. This allocation will greatly benefit the province.

¶ 02 Funds are also set aside to revive key industries. The Kankesanthurai (KKS) cement factory, established in 1950 with capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year, operated until 1991 when war forced closure, damaging livelihoods including clay suppliers from Murunkan in Mannar. Our Government has allocated substantial funds to restart it and uplift local economies.

¶ 03 Similarly, the Paranthan Chemical Company, established in 1954, produced sodium hydroxide, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid domestically until 1985. Its closure forced costly imports. We will revive it.

¶ 04 The Ottuchudanil (Mullaitivu) tile factory, started in 1968, supplied tiles to the Vanni and Jaffna regions until war-related closure. We will restart it during this Government’s term.

¶ 05 District Secretariat allocations in the North are significant: Mullaitivu Rs. 126 million; Vavuniya Rs. 100 million; Mannar Rs. 189 million; Jaffna Rs. 187 million; Kilinochchi Rs. 179 million. Mullaitivu’s population is 99,000—about Rs. 1,272 per person. Colombo District Secretariat gets Rs. 452 million for a population of 2.46 million—about Rs. 183 per person. Some said Mullaitivu got very little; that is incorrect. Per capita, war-affected people are prioritized.

¶ 06 The Vattuvagal bridge, built in 1950, has not been rehabilitated to date. Even when the Northern Provincial Council was powerful, representatives did not attend to it. Our Government, within months, allocated funds for its rehabilitation.

¶ 07 Fire Brigades exist in Vavuniya and Kilinochchi, but not in Mullaitivu and Mannar despite schools, private buildings, and factories. Through this Budget, we will establish Fire Brigade units in those two districts.

¶ 08 Mullaitivu District Hospital’s male ward has only 23 beds; with patient counts reaching 110, many remain outside. This year, Rs. 250 million is allocated to develop the hospital with a new building.

¶ 09 Mullaitivu has never had a public library; we will establish one. We will also build cultural centres in Mullaitivu and Mannar, which currently lack such facilities.

¶ 10 Mannar has around 90,000 cattle but no designated grazing land. Under our administration, we are arranging access to grazing on lands below the Kattukkarai tank within forest areas, obtaining necessary permissions.

¶ 11 A Member claimed we blamed dogs for rice shortages. In Sri Lanka, roughly one dog per ten people exists; dogs also consume rice. Perhaps that Member does not raise dogs and lacks knowledge of this. I conclude my speech. Thank you.