The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I am glad to speak a few words after the Hon. Prime Minister. Hon. Prime Minister, you gave an answer the other day when a Member from your party asked about the Clean Sri Lanka program — a reasonable answer. But our question is whether the 159 Members of your party and the institutions and persons who must implement this have a proper understanding of the concept and the operational approach. Listening to many speeches, we hear various views. Do the heads of the implementing institutions at least receive the basic Terms of Reference? Also, is there a guideline? People expect permanent solutions. Clean Sri Lanka is the same name under which even President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government carried out activities in an organized manner. But what happened when the Government changed? You yourselves then alleged that the military was cleaning roads, beautifying Colombo, building intersections. You criticized it then, but now you do the same under Clean Sri Lanka. No issue with that. The problem is that when Governments change, it stops. Therefore, bring a permanent solution and a consistent process.

¶ 02 On one side, you tell the Police to stop three-wheelers and remove accessories; on the other, from buses too — then you show the Motor Traffic Act and say the issue is settled if money is paid. You first said those accessories cause accidents; then do accidents stop after payment? If you are implementing Clean Sri Lanka, at least inform the relevant officials.