The Hon. Mohamed Sali Naleem

¶ 01 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Speaker, first, I thank the Almighty for the opportunity to speak in today’s debate on the regulations framed under the Intellectual Property Act regarding Geographical Indications. Please, without wasting Parliament’s time recounting past issues, I urge that all those who have committed theft, robbery, or fraud be brought before the law.

¶ 03 Today, in Batticaloa District, cashew production has become a question mark. Though thousands of acres were cultivated in the past, due to disease the yield has fallen and we are now importing from countries like Tanzania. This must change. If we distribute cashew saplings to farmers and restart production, we can make it an export earner to bring in foreign exchange. I request in this House that the Cashew Corporation prepare plans to earn foreign exchange for the country.

¶ 04 Today, palmyrah-based production is the livelihood of many poor people in Batticaloa District. Therefore, arrangements must be made to improve their livelihoods. I request the Government to provide them with cashew-cracking machines and the necessary equipment.

¶ 05 Next, a land belonging to Aligarh National School has been taken over by the Eravur Police Station. The government of Hon. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is undertaking a programme to release state and private lands. I request that this programme be applied to release the land belonging to Aligarh National School. The Eravur Police Station and the local Magistrate’s Court face many inconveniences due to lack of space. Therefore, if two acres from the Coconut Cultivation Board land near the Eravur Police Station are released, relevant projects for those institutions can be implemented there.

¶ 06 Hon. Deputy Speaker, the century-old Aligarh National School in Eravur is our people’s asset. Over 2,000 students study there and suffer from lack of adequate space. We have been raising this continuously, even before the Security Council in the past. I appeal to the President to ensure the school’s land, which has been taken over, is returned to the school. Thank you for the opportunity.