The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Member, your description of Anuradhapura is largely accurate. Following discussion at the Anuradhapura District Coordinating Committee about a month and a half ago, we sent the General Manager of Railways to hold special talks and reach initial decisions. There is a need for official quarters, yet many are derelict. We have also heard that during Poson and certain tourist seasons, some officials sublet quarters at high rates—though I lack specifics. We are trying to prioritize departmental needs and public benefit and to speed up change, but there is notable sluggishness in administration, development, service delivery and land use in the Department. We are recruiting more staff and will strive to significantly improve within the next few months.