The Hon. K. Kader Masthan

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity.

¶ 02 The Lakvijaya coal power plant is situated in Norochcholai in the Kalpitiya area, where multi-ethnic communities live. It is a region rich in fisheries and capable of vegetable cultivation. When the plant was being set up, people protested—not against development but to protect the environment, fisheries, crops and trees, and to live healthily. The then Government assured that high-quality coal would be used to control pollution, and that jobs would be provided locally. However, jobs were not provided equitably. Now there is suspicion about the quality of coal. Therefore, in future, tenders must prioritise “high-quality coal.” I state this here. Not only in the past, but even now people there are suffering from various illnesses. This must be addressed.

¶ 03 Security in the country is now in question. Recently, in Jindupitiya, a shooting in a salon resulted in the death of a brother named Sahreen from the Vellimalai–Bandaravalli area; we pray he attains the status of a martyr. Another brother, Sameem, is in Ward 1 critically injured; I pray for his speedy recovery. Such incidents are creating major issues. People voted for this Government with faith that such situations would be prevented. But questions remain. We urge the Government to take good decisions on this.

¶ 04 Regarding the release of translated copies of the Holy Quran, the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs recently stated that they were not detained for security reasons, but upon recommendations from some Muslim organisations. People voted for you to fix such matters. Instead of statements, take steps to release these Quran copies quickly.

¶ 05 I spoke to the Hon. Minister during this sitting; he said he would convene a meeting next week with all Muslim leaders and relevant parties and decide swiftly. We trust the President will direct the Ministry to release them promptly.

¶ 06 On the Ilavankulam road opening, discussions with the Ministers of Highways and Environment will be held soon. When I asked in Parliament, Hon. Bimal Rathnayake said a meeting would be held to decide on opening the road. We welcome his efforts and thank him. Please make quick decisions on the Quran copies and the Ilavankulam road to build public confidence.

¶ 07 Due to recent heavy floods, many Quran copies were damaged. Therefore, their release should happen urgently. The closure of Ilavankulam road is hindering development of part of the country. Using that road reduces the distance to the North by about 80 km. Why such delay? Although some agreed in court to keep the road closed, people are firmly against closing it. There is no court order to close the road. Therefore, I request the relevant Ministry to decide quickly and open the road.