The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, first, a point. The Sports Minister came here and beat the drum. The Central Asian Junior Volleyball Championship (CAVA) is now in Kazakhstan. Volleyball is our national sport. Both our junior women’s and men’s teams were prevented from going by the Sports Ministry and are now to be fined. That is unacceptable.

¶ 02 Next, in Nuwara Eliya we held May Day rallies. Before that, note: the railway line to Kandy is still not restored months after damage; people of upcountry, largely Tamil estate workers from Nawalapitiya through Rosella, Hatton, Nanu Oya, relied on trains. It’s been eight months; at least restore service to Badulla and Kandy.

¶ 03 This Government’s May Day line-up: the President as prosecutor, with a few henchmen, and the Justice Minister among them. They openly spoke about jailing people. If you want to jail me, do it quietly—send a note to the judge. Do not announce sentences on May Day platforms. This disrespects the judiciary. I appeal to the Chief Justice, a man of 40 years’ service, due to retire in November, whose son is also a judge: do not allow this public undermining. You were appointed by votes from across the Constitutional Council, not by this Government alone.

¶ 04 On the Budget speech, the President from that very Chair said all casuals with over six months’ service as of 2025 would be made permanent. Now they are limiting it to those appointed by 10.09.2019—an old gazette. Then only a few thousand will be made permanent; the rest will not. Implement what was promised.

¶ 05 To the Minister in charge of Police: your gazette for recruiting Women Police Constables requires “C” in Maths, English, and Science, and limits age to 24. Today’s youth seldom join at 18-20. Raise the maximum age to at least 28; otherwise, you will not fill the 40,000 vacancies. The qualification bar should match the cadre; do not make WPC recruitment like ASP standards.

¶ 06 On the digital ID: when you were in Opposition, you accused the then Government of handing national data to India. Now your Government has allocated Rs. 5.3 billion and is giving the project to India’s Madras Security Printers Pvt Ltd. Do not do this. You criticized “Indian expansionism” back then. Why route our IDs through India now, and without fingerprints—only palm scans? You can jail me if you like; you already have lists ready. I will not hire lawyers again; last time I even went to your own mentor to say your people are announcing cases in advance.

¶ 07 You cannot both take money and send people to jail: either take money or jail—can’t be both.

¶ 08 Also investigate annual land permits: in Polonnaruwa, renewal processes are being hijacked by a henchman of the Minister demanding “something”. Around 3,000 permits await renewal at the Land Commissioner General’s Department; not one is being renewed. People need permits to run hotels, businesses, and obtain loans. Appoint a team and clean this up.

¶ 09 You claim interest-free loans were given; no beneficiary has surfaced where I am. Publish the lists so we can verify and even commend where due. You also claim 20,000 houses built; we see Premadasa’s houses everywhere, not any by Anura Kumara or Bimal Rathnayake—so build and show.

¶ 10 Teach your Polonnaruwa leader that Sri Lanka has 25 districts, not 26. And watch Katchatheevu—today Tamil Nadu politics may shift.

¶ 11 On Neville Fernando Hospital: you once protested and struck against it. Now it is to be given to the Air Force. That hospital, with 500 beds and specialist services, was acquired with Treasury funds. Develop it like Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital under Health Ministry oversight, not transfer it to the Air Force. Likewise, the Army has taken over lands in Diyatalawa; people cannot even cultivate vegetables.

¶ 12 I urge: save Neville Fernando Hospital. Thank you.