Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe

¶ 01 Hon. Leader of the Opposition, can you state during which period these lands were given?

¶ 02 Hon. Leader of the Opposition, when were these lands given to the companies?

¶ 03 Hon. Deputy Speaker, the issue here is this: he is running around without stating the facts. Tell the truth. Who gave these lands? The previous Government. Now there is a court judgment. We are trying to save some of these. Those farmers cultivated there for a long time, but they were on unauthorized lands; they were not granted land. However, when giving these lands to companies, your side gave them—measured on maps. Ranil Wickremesinghe and others granted them on maps without even visiting to see whether people were living there. Now the process is proceeding under court orders.

¶ 04 Hon. Leader of the Opposition, when that Government took those decisions, you were not a party—you say you were the Opposition. Please understand that. But when you raise a question, do not create a commotion.

¶ 05 Provide solutions; give answers. Do not be overly reactive. We are asking for solutions.

¶ 06 Say that Ranil gave them and ask us to solve it. You do not even say “Ranil”—still afraid of Ranil. You do not even utter Ranil’s name. Yes.

¶ 07 You are shouting in agitation—why such fear? We are presenting an issue affecting a thousand families. We are not trying to put you in difficulty. We ask for a solution.

¶ 08 Regarding the economic centres, let me address what the Hon. Leader of the Opposition raised. There are 18 economic centres; 14 are active, though some function as mere retail outlets. Except for Dambulla, Thambuttegama, Keppetipola, and Nuwara Eliya, many rely on others. Goods go from Dambulla to Meegoda, then to Ratmalana and Narahenpita. There are irregularities. They were under four ministries. Those who set these up took money from businessmen; no one accounts for where that money went. This happened across the last two Governments, taking money for stalls. There are also no proper lease agreements for stall owners. Some say, “We are on the edge; we don’t know when we’ll be thrown out.”

¶ 09 If the Hon. Leader of the Opposition had read the Cabinet paper intended to protect all before asking questions, he would not have asked any of these today. He comes after I visit these places. Before presenting the Cabinet paper, we met stakeholders from Narahenpita, Peliyagoda, Thambuttegama, and Dambulla—two groups from Dambulla came. In June, the Ministry Secretary, I, and officials met representatives from all 18 centres—from Jaffna to Chavakachcheri. For four unopened centres, responsible officials also attended. I explained clearly what we are doing. Asking whether a private company or a tender has been floated is pointless. At least read the Cabinet paper first; the contents are clear.

¶ 10 Secondly, regarding the Trincomalee incident: this did not arise today or yesterday. It began during your Government when Arjuna Ranatunga was Minister. Now you try to save face. That is when it started. Now there are multiple cases—company vs. port, port vs. farmers, farmers vs. port. We must protect the farmers who lived there for 40–50 years. Our Government will intervene where injustice has occurred and pay compensation if needed.

¶ 11 We are using valuable debate time. I must be clear: we are not imposing limits on companies per se. The Companies Act amendments on beneficial ownership are to curb theft, black money, and misappropriated assets. Please read the Cabinet paper before questioning.