The Hon. (Mrs.) Anushka Thilakarathne, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, today, 21 November 2025, is a special day. One year ago, people gave power to 159 MPs of the National People’s Power to revive a collapsing economy and to build a civilized country with restored political, cultural and social coexistence—ushering in a new political culture.

¶ 02 Since morning, the Opposition has tried to paint a picture that the NPP Government was handed a prosperous, stable country and that we ruined it within a year. One MP, who often promotes entrepreneurship in this House, said we formed a conspiratorial government that arrests drug dealers merely to show off and destroys youth entrepreneurship.

¶ 03 Madam, I present data as of 02 November 2025 from the Police Media Division: Total suspects arrested for narcotics (heroin, ice, cocaine, cannabis, kush, and related substances) is 1,282; 86 kg of heroin seized; 437 raids; two suspects under investigation for illicit assets; 17 suspects under detention orders; 1,274 raids in total; 26 sent for rehabilitation; for ICE, 252 suspects; 448 raids. We inherited a country captured and devastated by drugs, a major smuggling hub.

¶ 04 Can any of us, in good conscience, say our children are safe when they step out of home in such a country? We are not doing this for propaganda. We are collectively striving to build a drug-free country with a national plan, with no obligation to protect any cartel. Our conscience is to leave a safe country for our children and youth. We were given a devastated country, and if there is one achievement within a year, it is demonstrating equality before the law and moving towards a country free of bribery, corruption and fraud.

¶ 05 Quoting Lenin’s Selected Works: “You cannot hammer down and bury the coffin of capitalist society. Rotting among us, it pollutes the air, poisons our lives, and with a thousand decaying threads binds and hinders all that is new and robust.” The Opposition’s corrupted narratives similarly pull back what we are trying to build. I note this before addressing my theme today, to reject the false claim that we ruined a prosperous country; we were given a stinking, dying system.

¶ 06 Under the Community Empowerment Programme, our main target is to empower two million families during 2025-2029 through initiatives in livelihood promotion, financial inclusion, social empowerment, social protection, and training and mentoring. Supported by ADB and the World Bank via two dedicated projects, the national programme covers the entire island.

¶ 07 Current progress: 292,050 families identified for empowerment; 247,154 family development plans prepared; 6,480 families already assisted; 2,100 projects ready for assistance. Under youth employment and entrepreneurship development, 65,670 youths have registered. Microfinance programmes are in place, including an empowerment loan up to Rs. 250,000 for targeted beneficiaries; Samurdhi Ranpatha loans; Samurdhi Loan Programme; special programmes under the Samurdhi Social Development Trust Fund; Productive Villages Programme; sanitation facility improvements; and the Samurdhi “Sipdora” scholarship. Under the Samurdhi Housing Development Lottery Fund, housing grants have been provided to 1,020 target houses. Many social development and special programmes are being implemented.

¶ 08 Regarding “Praja Shakthi” Committees: the Opposition alleges politicization. In each GN division, the committee comprises a trained chairperson and four government officers representing the administration, who are accountable to the state. It pools their cooperation and expertise to drive genuine village-level development, not political projects.