The Hon. Sudath Balagalla

¶ 01 Thank you for the time, Hon. Deputy Chairperson.

¶ 02 This is a moment when the country faces disaster. In my district—Badulla—29 lives have already been lost. Not only canals, bunds and anicuts, but even paddy fields have been devastated. Our State officials are working efficiently, and we are intervening swiftly. At 7.00 p.m. today, the District Disaster Management Committee will meet to organize measures.

¶ 03 The Opposition often asks, “Where is your physical progress?” Let me speak not of the country but of our district. Our current financial progress is 74.79 percent and physical progress 81.67 percent. How did we achieve this? With the State officials you left us—with very few engineers and technical officers—we delivered. In 2024, when the Uva Provincial Ministry of Roads, Housing, Water Supply, Infrastructure and Cooperative Affairs allocated Rs. 700 million, we mobilized Rs. 2,800 million worth of works and achieved high physical progress. Likewise with the Agriculture Ministry—we achieved strong physical results.

¶ 04 I represent Mahiyanganaya. In its “C” zone there are 51 farmer organizations; we provided Rs. 1 million each to 40 of them and asked them to implement with community labor. They delivered projects worth Rs. 1.2–1.3 million each; 39 projects—40 percent—are already complete. With only two technical officers and one engineer, people united and delivered—this is how this Government works; that is the difference. Previously, when Rs. 1 million was given, some chairmen, officials or even politicians would skim 10–20 percent. We have shown 120–130 percent progress.

¶ 05 On minor and major irrigation, we have also done a significant amount in 2025. Our 2026 goal is to transform the traditional rupee-earning farmer into a dollar-earning farmer—producing for export from Mahiyanganaya, Wiyaluwa and across Badulla. In Mahiyanganaya’s “B” zone there is a vast 1,050-acre tract long left fallow; for 20–25 years it was overrun by scrub. We have now designated it as a modern agro-park and are moving to develop it…