The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, I am pleased to participate in the debate on the Ministry of Justice and National Integration under the 79th Budget of independent Sri Lanka. In this, Rs. 80.2 billion has been allocated to the Law and Order sector and Rs. 16.1 billion to the Judiciary. While allocations have also been made for various development activities, I wish to draw attention to development needs in the districts I represent, particularly Batticaloa.

¶ 02 In Batticaloa District, the District Court and Magistrates’ Courts at Kaluwanchikudy, Valaichenai and Eravur are functioning. Among these, only the Batticaloa District Court and the Kaluwanchikudy Magistrate’s Court have permanent buildings. The Valaichenai Court functions in a temporary building; although a new building project has commenced, it proceeds very slowly. I request the Minister of Justice to take this into consideration and expedite completion so that court operations can begin promptly.

¶ 03 Likewise, the Eravur Court operates in a very small 20-year-old building, without even adequate space to store productions; they are kept within a nearby temple premises. Court proceedings are conducted under cramped conditions. Therefore, land should be allocated and a new court complex constructed there.

¶ 04 Further, there is no permanent court in Vakarai; only a mobile court sits on the first and third Wednesdays. It operates temporarily in an unsafe, dilapidated building without drinking water or sanitation facilities; even Judges have to bring water. These conditions must be improved urgently.

¶ 05 Given the large geographic area of Batticaloa, to ensure services for people coming from distant areas, I request the Minister of Justice to consider these matters and take appropriate action. There is also an acute staff shortage. The Batticaloa District Court Registrar is about to retire; another District Court has no Registrar; Registrars in Valaichenai and Eravur serve on a temporary basis. Without adequate human resources it is very difficult to conduct court operations, causing hardship to the people. During the Second Reading debate the Hon. Minister stated that measures would be taken to address court construction and staffing shortages. I request that Batticaloa District be considered when implementing those measures; we also raised this in our District Development Committee previously.

¶ 06 Next, the Batticaloa Prison faces a severe overcrowding crisis. A facility built for 300 inmates now holds over 700. Waste management is a major issue; effluent is discharged into a nearby lagoon. While the Hon. Minister assured action, on a long-term basis this prison should be relocated. Fifteen acres within municipal limits have been allocated; the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital is nearby. Considering these factors, steps should be taken to develop a proper prison complex and associated staff facilities, recognizing that “prisoners are also human beings.”

¶ 07 I must also refer to a serious recent incident in Vakarai. People had cultivated in areas identified for them, but officers of the Forest Department entered those areas, burned huts, destroyed property and behaved brutally, even seizing produce like maize, honey and peanuts. When some went to seek justice, they were threatened at gunpoint. A police complaint has been lodged, and the Divisional Secretary informed; a meeting was held. Action must be taken to conduct a proper inquiry and punish the responsible officers, and provide justice to the affected people. Even the Hon. President has stated, during the Budget, that to increase agricultural production, lands acquired would be returned to the people. Recently, we discussed insufficient maize production in this House. Yet people pursuing their livelihoods through cultivation are treated inhumanely by officials. This must be addressed justly.

¶ 08 On national integration, there should be a justice mechanism to address injustices suffered by Tamil-speaking people during the war—particularly enforced disappearances and political detainees—by conducting proper inquiries and providing justice. Through such measures, Tamil society in the North and East can be integrated into national development. Devolving power to Tamil-speaking communities and ensuring fair political rights and economic entitlements will enable their participation in national development and rebuilding a prosperous country.

¶ 09 As other Members noted, language implementation requires serious attention. We receive complaints that circulars from various Departments are issued only in Sinhala. Tamil is also an official language; therefore, authorities in Ministries and Departments must ensure proper implementation.

¶ 10 There is also discrimination in recruitment. Recently, 262 were recruited as Police ASPs; not a single Tamil was included. Is there no qualified Tamil candidate on merit? To protect national integration and justice, the Government must act with care and responsibility in such matters. With these requests, I conclude.