The Hon. Ajith P. Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I am pleased to speak on this timely Motion following a most regrettable incident. The Hon. Member who seconded spoke emotionally also about the Budget and about scientific steps to resolve human–elephant conflict. I have the 2025 Budget Speech: on page 38, item 29, it speaks about “Minimizing human–elephant conflict and wildlife conservation.” We all know that with development—clearing forests for irrigation, building tanks, expanding farmlands, double-cropping, making the country self-sufficient in rice—elephants lost space. Human–elephant conflict is grave. Yesterday, even an organizer of our party was killed by an elephant. Elephants do not see party or color. For 76 years nothing was done? If D. S. Senanayake had not implemented the Gal Oya scheme, those provinces wouldn’t have elephants, they’d have leopards! If not for D. S., Dudley, and J. R., people in Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura would have starved. There are shortcomings, yes. Therefore we must all take responsibility, and also be fair to elephants while thinking of the economy.

¶ 02 In this Budget, what precisely is provided on human–elephant conflict? Is even one rupee allocated to resolve elephant-train collisions? Hon. Minister, you said there are technological solutions; please spell them out. Did your Party Leader and Finance Minister, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, include such a method in the Budget? Where are the allocations? This issue is decades old; there has been no fair solution; we accept that. But under item 29, there is not even one rupee specifically allocated for this. This is not an issue for government or opposition alone. We must all work together to find a fair solution—for elephants, society, and the economy—adapting technology to our local context, consulting scientists, railway experts, and wildlife experts. There are departmental silos—Wildlife won’t allow even a shrub cut; Railways and Tourism have their own stances. Let’s unite across the aisle and resolve this sensibly rather than trading barbs. Thank you.