The Hon. Aruna Panagoda

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, we set aside two days—yesterday and today—to debate the Government’s new program “Clean Sri Lanka.” During this, the Opposition seeks to use its time to sling mud, spread falsehoods and portray wrong impressions while saying we should include them and take their proposals. Even as they thank us, they simultaneously spread lies and create false public perceptions.

¶ 02 As a Government, we have organized Clean Sri Lanka with planning to take the country in a new direction. In line with the vision “A Prosperous Country and a Beautiful Life,” Clean Sri Lanka is our starting point to take the country to innovation and restore to the people the real life they were denied. Our mission is to elevate Sri Lanka to a higher level as a developed nation through environmental, social, and ethical fundamentals with national commitment. With patience and planning, we will achieve these objectives. The impatient Opposition has turned to falsehoods and mudslinging.

¶ 03 Where do we begin to build a prosperous country and beautiful life? In a bankrupt country where the people’s lives were made miserable, we must create positive behaviors via example, inspiration, direction and strengthening the felt need. We must also standardize living environments to uplift living conditions. We aim to establish values and ethics for human relationships to create a happy, smiling nation. While we plan nationwide with these aims, the Opposition reduces it to collecting garbage and cleaning beaches. Since the President introduced it on January 1, they have been spreading petty, false propaganda.

¶ 04 When planning to launch this in the Colombo District, we first inspected Homagama town. The private bus stand there was in a horrible state—unable to provide proper service to bus owners, drivers, staff or passengers. Staff had no proper rest areas or toilets; drivers starting at 3.00 a.m. had no place even for tea. That is a place we must begin Clean Sri Lanka. The Homagama Railway Station was also in poor condition. Officers are willing to work and have informed successive governments and ministers of required changes, but nothing was done. Clean Sri Lanka is essential not only physically but also attitudinally.

¶ 05 Successive governments left the public service dissatisfied and ineffective. Beneficiaries became critics of the service. The State service was made inefficient. Through Clean Sri Lanka we must turn it into a satisfied, people-friendly public service, and we are preparing such programs.

¶ 06 Past governments postponed local government elections, depriving rural people of avenues to address daily needs; thus small problems grew. Within Clean Sri Lanka, we are planning to rectify such issues.

¶ 07 The Opposition behaves like seeing “crocodiles in the paddy fields.” About 10 years ago in Homagama, crores of public money were spent to build a road to ease congestion, but today it ends in the jungle without connecting to the main road because at the junction to the High Level Road a new private shop stands. That is how they spent crores. Our Government has been in office only two months; yet they speak as if we turned heaven into hell. We have identified such issues and, with the President’s intervention, are moving swiftly to correct them and build a prosperous, comfortable, happy life for our people.

¶ 08 We are not building a “Clean Sri Lanka” that creates burdens. We will build the economy gradually with people’s participation and make this country better and more comfortable. Through collective effort we will strengthen the economy and restore lost social patterns.

¶ 09 Today the Opposition comes daily, utters a lie in the morning and runs away. What can we take from such a lying Opposition? Therefore, know your limits. The people have given a massive mandate of 159. They gave it to change what you did for years and to rebuild this country. As the NPP Government, with responsibility, patience and planning, within Clean Sri Lanka we will deliver a prosperous country and a beautiful life. Some in the Opposition laugh in shame at their own deeds; they plundered and destroyed this country and now feel the heat. We will change this and swiftly free the country from corrupt politics and take it toward prosperity. Thank you.