The Hon. Naina Thambi Marrikkar Mohamed Thahir

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, we grant approval for the regulations under the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act. Many people nationwide still lack proper connectivity. If these regulations deliver good services countrywide, we are pleased. While urban areas have towers and connectivity, remote areas, fishing communities and farming regions lack signal.

¶ 02 Good communications are essential for implementing education reforms. If we expand the current 8,000 towers, we must prioritize rural areas. I have seen children climbing hills with phones to find signal — such deficiencies must be eliminated.

¶ 03 Communications are also essential for the economy. Without signal, phones and services fail. Creating the enabling environment is the Government’s duty. We will not oppose good measures, but as the Opposition we must highlight shortcomings and correct mistakes.

¶ 04 For days, development officers — about 52,000 in total — have been protesting; 19,050 were on a hunger strike. There is a shortage of about 40,000 teachers across nine provinces, especially in science, commerce, IT and English. If graduates who have been teaching children in schools were recruited as teachers, both they and the education system would benefit. These are not political matters — they are graduates already bonded to state service. Addressing this will also ease the teacher shortage. I ask you to be sensitive, so they too can celebrate Independence Day tomorrow with peace of mind.

¶ 05 Our party leader, Rishad Bathiudeen, asked me to raise the issue of development officers. Irrespective of party or ethnicity, they deserve respect. Some have taught for seven years and been transferred repeatedly, disrupting their lives — a disrespect to public servants. Minister Bimal Rathnayake said there are 52,000 such officers — while you cannot give all teaching posts, there are large teacher vacancies. Identify subject gaps and assign accordingly; that burdens neither the Government nor the officers. The President has also discussed with them; I speak devoid of politics. If a good solution is given, they too will feel free on Independence Day.

¶ 06 Allow me one more brief point — in the Kalpitiya area, there is a village called Dutch Bay, a Catholic village with a long history. Due to coastal erosion, churches have been destroyed. A group has met the Hon. Minister of Fisheries on this. I table the detailed document and request solutions for the people of Dutch Bay and Kirimundalama.

¶ 07 Thank you.