The Hon. T. B. Sarath - Deputy Minister of Housing
The Deputy Minister argued that investigations into past frauds should pursue the main perpetrators rather than only minor actors. Referring to the Israel–Iran conflict, he said the Opposition should present practical alternatives instead of creating public panic over possible shortages. Turning to the dairy sector, he noted that Sri Lanka’s annual milk demand is about 801 million litres while domestic production is around 370–380 million litres, and called for strengthening local production capacity and avoiding past procurement failures.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, listening to the Opposition, it seems they profess great love for the Government while speaking. They highlight a major past fraud; yet, like catching a plough-ox instead of the real thief, they point us to minor culprits while the masterminds hide. Let the law catch all who stole.
¶ 02 On the Israel–Iran war, the Leader of the Opposition outlined the harm. But beyond describing damage, a responsible Opposition should offer alternatives rather than frighten people with constant doom-mongering that triggers panic—yesterday some queued for fuel fearing shortages. Point out shortcomings, yes; but also propose solutions. Broadcasting alarmist commentary within seconds on TV only spreads fear.
¶ 03 Now, to today’s subject: Sri Lanka’s annual milk demand is about 801 million litres; domestic production is roughly 370–380 million litres. Our bovine population is about 1,586,383 head. We must build domestic capacity rather than repeat the procurement failures that led to losses.
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Thursday, 19 June 2025 ·No. 1751430648025512 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. T. B. Sarath - Deputy Minister of Housing. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 19 June 2025. No. 1751430648025512. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/27485