The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, amidst adverse weather causing great tragedy—loss of lives, loss of homes, and immense damage—we express our deep regret and condolences.

¶ 02 We also thank state officials and security forces assisting those affected.

¶ 03 We ask that relief be provided swiftly to the distressed for some comfort in this difficult time.

¶ 04 Despite this massive destruction, I have not heard that a state of disaster has been declared. Why has the Minister not done so even now? With a deep depression about 170 km to the northeast forming into a cyclone, as per the Department of Meteorology, does your Government not know the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005? Under Section 11(1), declaring a state of disaster enables rapid relief to those in distress. Please advise the responsible persons and the President to declare immediately so it takes effect at once.

¶ 05 Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha: We met now; you should have said so.

¶ 06 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa: I did not meet personally. A separate discussion was called on the disaster; we said it there.

¶ 07 Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha: Then fine.

¶ 08 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa: What is fine? Even if agreed, it has not been declared. It must be done legally. They have not done even that; they do not know the orders to be made. That is the truth.

¶ 09 Returning to disaster management and our farmers: You say you protect farmers. Do you provide fertilizer funds on time? Is quality fertilizer available? At concessional prices? Are agrochemicals and inputs affordable? Equipment prices have rocketed. There is no lasting solution to human-elephant conflict. You speak of stable prices. I challenge the Minister and Deputy Minister: go to the pumpkin farmer, the potato farmer, the big onion farmer, and ask whether they got fair prices; ask whether they received fertilizer funds on time. Do not sit in air-conditioned offices—go to the fields. In the past, going to fields and eating rice with farmers, you professed love and compassion. When in opposition you showed such empathy; now that is gone. In these adverse conditions, provide compensation and relief to all farmers whose cultivations are damaged, and to fishers who cannot go to sea.

¶ 10 Damage to crops impacts national food security. Instead of protecting farmers, you have violated the law and released 323 containers illegally. You have used state power over farmers’ heads and hands to unlawfully release those red-labelled containers. Now we hear of audio clips—how to regularize illegal containers, how to release, how to remove penalties. On that, you are experts—not in protecting farmers but in releasing containers. You have orphaned millions of farmers—field crop farmers, tea, coconut, rubber farmers, vegetable and fruit farmers—and crippled the entire agriculture sector. What practical steps are you taking to revive agriculture?

¶ 11 What are you doing to improve irrigation? Is there a National Irrigation Rehabilitation Program with allocated funds to strengthen major, medium, and minor irrigation? You spoke loudly in Opposition but have not delivered practically. You have become specialists in releasing containers by using power over farmers.

¶ 12 Even with this massive calamity, you cannot declare even a minimum disaster status. This is an incompetent government that does not even know the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005. Therefore, we urge you to strengthen all farmers.

¶ 13 We need a national program to increase value added to GDP through agriculture. Declare a disaster and act; that is first. Also, update outdated circulars on relief to the bereaved, those who lost property and livelihoods; pay compensation promptly. In Ampara, farmers affected by disasters still have not received relief; please act.

¶ 14 Update the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act and Disaster Management framework to be in line with the times. There are problems in early warnings, information dissemination, inter-agency coordination, use of risk maps, community preparedness, weak infrastructure maintenance causing disasters to worsen, slow post-disaster response, and insufficient funds. There are gaps in climate adaptation integration and limitations in enforcing environmental laws. I present these because though these are discussed after every disaster, they are never rectified.

¶ 15 A special proposal: When such disasters occur, we have only one radar system—at Puttalam—with JICA assistance costing Rs. 2.6 billion. We need to implement Doppler radar at Pottuvil as well.

¶ 16 Hon. Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Leader of the Opposition, time is up.

¶ 17 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa: I will take two more minutes.

¶ 18 With Doppler radar, nowcasting—current weather, cyclones, tornadoes, typhoons—can be effectively monitored. As we started at Puttalam, we must start one at Pottuvil too. The Japanese Government is ready through JICA. As the Opposition, we are ready to discuss with the Japanese Government and Ambassador to secure a Doppler radar for Pottuvil to provide accurate data to the public.

¶ 19 Finally, we need a National Agri-Industrial Policy. Stop theatrical political declarations; truly protect farmers—ensure fixed prices for inputs from fertilizers and agrochemicals to equipment, provide solutions to human-elephant conflict, and improve post-harvest technology and storage. Strengthen the production cycle. Don’t deceive with token payments for political gain. The country needs a sustainable national agri-industrial policy. Act accordingly—or hand over to us to govern.

¶ 20 Thank you.