The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, as one born and raised in Trincomalee, I wish to clarify a matter of current concern in the Trincomalee Municipal area and present the facts.

¶ 02 An NGO named “Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhivardhana Samithiya,” with address from the Clock Tower along Fort Frederick Gate Road, was registered in 1957. It was converted to a dhamma school-running entity in 2003, and registered as a Buddhist Vihara in 2010, claiming activity from 1951. This location is now also called “Sangamiththa Vihara.” This is the first site.

¶ 03 Separately, along the road from Dockyard Street to the Fort Frederick Gate, based on an application by the same organization, a different 40-perch plot was granted on long lease in 2008 by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the long lease was amended on 09 July 2014 by him. This is the second plot.

¶ 04 These two locations are different but are now being confused as one. How could a dhamma school be registered in 2003 on a plot only leased in 2008? The Survey Department’s measurement on 05 September 2008 identified the leased plot as coastal conservation zone where no construction is permitted. It states that the north, east and south boundaries are the beach, and the west boundary is the road to the Fort and a palmyrah grove.

¶ 05 Under the post-2004 Tsunami Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resources Management law, no buildings may be constructed within 20 metres from the shoreline. Yet the present proposal attempts to build a dhamma school within 10 metres of the shore—blatantly violating the law. Scientifically, if another tsunami were to occur, what would be the fate of students there? To prevent loss of life, no construction should take place on that plot. I urge the Government and the Judiciary to uphold the rule of law.

¶ 06 Karl Marx said “religion is like opium.” Observing some in the Opposition here, I see the truth of that. He also said people have inner and outer environments—some appear changed by outer circumstances but remain unchanged within. Some who outwardly appear free of ethnic or religious prejudice remain inwardly unchanged, carrying narrow ethnic-religious agendas. They are trying to fish in troubled waters in Trincomalee, while Sinhala and Tamil residents there have maintained peace. I convey my gratitude to those people.

¶ 07 On the 2026 Budget Debate regarding the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment: the allocation is LKR 27.4 billion for recurrent and LKR 11.2 billion for capital—LKR 38.6 billion in total, about 0.9 percent of the Budget, up 23.1 percent over last year in nominal terms but only about 15 percent in real terms after inflation. This is inadequate and should at least be doubled.

¶ 08 About 75 percent of citizens live in rural areas; rural development is thus central to national development. Urban poverty is 10 percent, rural poverty 28 percent. Without addressing low agricultural productivity, income instability, drinking water, transport, youth unemployment, low female labour participation and weak technology access in rural areas, Sri Lanka cannot become a developed economy.

¶ 09 On “Praja Shakthi,” the integrated rural development programme: the Budget proposes LKR 25,000 million. It envisages a national plan implemented via community development councils in every village, identifying needs locally and funding them. However, given existing grassroots entities—village development societies, women’s societies, Sanasa societies, farmer and fisheries organizations—creating a new “social development council” risks politicization over development. The Government should reconfigure this to leverage existing structures.

¶ 10 The Ministry has secured LKR 3,567 million in external assistance from the World Bank, ADB, and WFP; LKR 3,140 million for food relief ensures primary food security support.

¶ 11 Allocations for welfare through the Department of Social Services and Samurdhi were LKR 50.7 billion in 2024, reduced to LKR 23.7 billion in 2025 and LKR 29 billion in 2026—this is not encouraging.

¶ 12 Samurdhi dominates 71 percent of the Ministry’s total. About 1.5 million families (around 6 million individuals, 28 percent of the population) receive Samurdhi. This maintains basic social assurance but also shows priority for cash transfers over other forms of social protection and development.

¶ 13 Concerns: for every LKR 100 allocated to the Ministry, LKR 63 goes to salaries and LKR 6 to administration—69 percent overhead—leaving only LKR 31 to reach beneficiaries. International practice suggests admin should be around 20 percent. Indonesia’s system serves 40 million beneficiaries with 15,000 staff—one officer per 2,667 beneficiaries—whereas in Sri Lanka it is one officer per 67 families, indicating 40 times lower efficiency.

¶ 14 For “Aswesuma” beneficiary empowerment, LKR 1,500 million (2025) and LKR 4,200 million (2026) are allocated, which is welcome. However, beneficiaries—other than persons with disabilities—should be required to attend skills training during benefit receipt, aiming for rapid labour-market reintegration. In some countries, e.g., Canada and the US, welfare duration is capped and linked to upskilling and job search.

¶ 15 The President proposed LKR 1,000 million to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities and special needs in public spaces and health facilities—welcome. Developed countries ensure access in public transport and places; Sri Lanka should too. The Budget also proposes LKR 250 million in concessions for thalassaemia patients, LKR 500 million for day-care centres for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and LKR 53 million in allowances for low-income students with disabilities—welcome. Reserving three percent of public service jobs for persons with disabilities and special needs is also welcome and must be implemented.

¶ 16 Although capital expenditure is listed as LKR 11,200 million, 92.6 percent is not infrastructure but one-off grants and transfers—not asset-creating investments. True capital would include: 200 vocational training centres serving 100,000 annually for 25 years; rural market infrastructure linking farmers to buyers; a digital employment service; and durable social enterprises—rather than short-term cash that leaves beneficiaries in structural poverty the next year.

¶ 17 We can learn from India’s rural reforms: (1) the national rural roads programme, connecting over 180,000 villages, doubled market access and improved student/women mobility and healthcare access—Sri Lanka should adopt a national rural connectivity plan; (2) women’s self-help groups—80 million women linked, raising incomes, financial management and small-business growth—Sri Lanka can scale around women receiving welfare; and (3) rural digital transformation—broadband connectivity, digital health, education, and real-time market information. I urge the Minister to take bold action to implement such proposals.

¶ 18 Finally, I draw attention to the Archaeology Department’s recent flagging of areas in Batticaloa District (Paddipalai, Chenkaladi, Kiran, Vakarai, Vellaveli DS divisions). In past years, Archaeology officials and certain controversial clergy created tensions. People now fear renewed ethnic discord. I urge Government intervention to preserve peace. Thank you.