The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna

¶ 01 Performance of District and Divisional Coordinating Committees of Northern Province

¶ 02 Hon. Speaker, thank you for permitting me under Standing Order 27(2) to raise questions with the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government regarding the District and Divisional Coordinating Committee meetings.

¶ 03 Hon. Minister, in the Northern Province, the District and Divisional Coordinating Committee meetings in Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts are being chaired by Hon. Ramalingam Chandraseker, a Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament, along with MPs of his party. These meetings are convened to discuss and decide matters related to development in those districts, with the participation of ruling and opposition MPs and relevant social and government officials, and to take decisions solely with the development of those regions in mind. It is noteworthy that this Government has continued this practice followed by previous Governments.

¶ 04 I also note that both government and opposition MPs are attending these meetings. Since these meetings are aimed solely at the people’s development, the matters discussed should reach the people—surely you would not oppose this. These are not party caucuses; there is nothing to hide. Not only development, but district- and province-level corruption obstructing development is also identified. The Chair who presides has stated that legal action should be taken regarding those instances of corruption in the public interest.

¶ 05 You came to power claiming to be a Government against corruption, yet in the Northern Province no action has been identified or prosecuted thus far. I wish to inform the people that the Government has taken no action regarding the various instances of corruption we have pointed out. While such issues have been raised and reached the public at DCC meetings in Jaffna and Kilinochchi, the Government has still taken no action. This raises doubts among the Tamil people as to whether this is truly an anti-corruption Government. In this context, Hon. Minister Ramalingam Chandraseker continues to act in a manner that conceals matters discussed at these DCC meetings in Jaffna and Kilinochchi.

¶ 06 I raise the following questions: 1. Is there scope to appoint at least an elected Member of Parliament to chair District Development Committee meetings? 2. Do you accept that your Minister, appointed via the National List, is not a democratic representative of the Northern people? 3. Do you accept that appointing a Minister who has never lived in the North to chair Northern Province development committee meetings is an insult to the Province? 4. Has Hon. Ramalingam Chandraseker, as Cabinet Minister and MP, taken any action as a Government regarding any complaint of corruption raised at Northern District Development Committee meetings? 5. Does your Government permit opposition MPs to speak less during discussions at District and Divisional Coordinating Committee and Development Committee meetings? 6. If so, have any decisions taken at DCC and Divisional Coordinating Committee meetings been implemented? If any, please give examples. 7. Is there any benefit in preventing matters discussed at these District meetings from being conveyed to the public? Has Hon. Ramalingam Chandraseker, MP and Minister, stated that personal media correspondents of opposition MPs cannot be allowed? 8. Has any MP’s personal media correspondent been prevented while independent journalists were also barred? 9. Does a Government that bars the media truly intend to advance public development? 10. Under what legal authority can these committees create a restriction that opposition MPs’ personal media correspondents cannot be allowed? Cite the law and provisions. 11. If there are no such legal provisions, will you clearly instruct your Hon. Minister to release the full video of these public-interest meetings?

¶ 07 Media freedom is not limited to a personal decision; it is a cornerstone of a country’s democracy.