The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

¶ 02 We all desire to keep our homes clean; likewise, we should desire to keep our country clean. In that sense, the Clean Sri Lanka initiative is a truly good programme. Its stated aim is to create a clean nation. There are two sides to that: external cleanliness—removing waste and filth from the physical environment—and internal cleanliness—removing evil thoughts from human minds.

¶ 03 Our country has been rife with corruption, fraud, waste, bribery, theft, and crime. Over 77 years, many leaders governed, yet they did not create cleanliness. This programme acknowledges that. We must therefore support what is clean: a nation without corruption, fraud, bribery, theft or waste. In the past, many crimes occurred; often, offenders were neither arrested nor punished; some who committed serious crimes even move about as honoured persons. This too must fall within Clean Sri Lanka.

¶ 04 We have also lost intellectuals; many have left the country. Had Sri Lanka been clean, they may not have felt compelled to leave. Today our country is polluted with communalism—ethnic, religious, linguistic, and regional divisions—used for electioneering. In the last general election, such divisive campaigns lost traction. If you use Clean Sri Lanka to build a clean country as people want clean homes, we, as a party, are ready to support it. But it must not remain a mere concept; it must become operational.

¶ 05 As Thirukkural says, “It is easy to speak; difficult is to act accordingly.” If you implement this programme and build a nation without corruption, fraud, bribery, crime, criminals, or intoxication, it would be healthy; even those who left might return to invest. For that, discriminatory laws—ethnic or religious—must be removed, and all measures that foment ethnic and religious hatred must be eliminated.

¶ 06 Under this programme, guarantee prices must be given for farmers’ produce. It is wrong when farmers toil to produce paddy and food, while imports are brought in for political gain. Without guaranteed prices, farmers will abandon cultivation.

¶ 07 Now, floods occur frequently. Regions are divided into comfortable and uncomfortable zones, but the people suffer. Monsoon rains have begun in the North and East. The Kiran Bridge has been damaged by floods; it must be repaired, and relief provided to affected people.

¶ 08 Many roads in our area are in very bad condition, especially the Vakarai–Kattumurippu road, an 18 km forest route with elephant threats. Around it live indigenous people, farmers and fishers, who are affected. Please repair it under Clean Sri Lanka to ensure safe travel. Since Independence they have suffered this hardship. Likewise, the Mandur–Moongilaru road in Poratheevupattu is severely damaged and needs repair.

¶ 09 I also raise The Finance Company matter. The Central Bank set up its board in 2009 and appointed directors. Trusting it, 6,400 depositors placed funds amounting to Rs. 12,000 million, and in 2019, another Rs. 10,000 million was advertised for fixed deposits. Within two weeks, the company was closed, leaving depositors stranded. While a finance company’s closure may be lawful, those depositors are now suffering. They plead for their principal and interest.

¶ 10 Next, the Bachelor of Education is a four‑year degree; those who completed it need employment opportunities. They are now unemployed. Also, field mosquito eradication assistants were appointed 7–8 years ago; I have raised this with the Hon. Health Minister in writing. Please give them permanent appointments quickly so they can carry on their work. With these requests, I conclude. Thank you.