The Hon. K. Kader Masthan

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

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Budget Head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation.

¶ 03 A few days ago, while I was overseas on religious and personal matters, a false statement about me was tabled in this House by the Hon. State Minister of Foreign Employment, Hon. Arun Hemachandra. It has since been widely publicized in the media. If officials or anyone provide information, it should first be verified for accuracy before tabling; one should not submit whatever is handed over, nor defame others.

¶ 04 After returning, I state for the record: the claim was that my brothers and I took two fuel station licences—Masthan Traders and 145 Enterprises—after I entered politics. That is false. Masthan Traders’ licence was obtained in 1998, and 145 Enterprises’ licence in 2015—both before I entered Parliament. Since entering politics, I have not obtained any fuel station licence. I come from a business family; before politics, I too was a businessman. Now I am a full-time politician. My brothers run those stations. I request the Hon. State Minister not to indulge in petty defamation; I place full confidence in your Government’s promise of clean governance.

¶ 05 For 30 years of war, Tamil–Muslim relations were safeguarded by leaders who advocated for rights without damaging communal harmony. Today, however, some Members make blatant racist remarks. We who prioritize inter-ethnic harmony in the North strongly condemn such base politics. If matters concerning religion or community were understood properly before being spoken about, such conflicts would not arise.

¶ 06 Regarding amendments to the MMDA, we have clearly and consistently stated we cannot agree to changes that contradict Sharia principles. Sharia has not failed in countries where it is implemented. Its principles are time-tested and compatible with modernity. Do not generalize from isolated issues to stigmatize the entire Muslim community.

¶ 07 A recent international report stated that 240 underage pregnancies occurred last year in Sri Lanka. How many were Muslim? Likely very few, proportionally below our national share. This Government’s Ministers should avoid sensationalizing sensitive issues. We protected religious rights in the last Government too. If the State acts fairly without harming religious communities, future tensions will reduce.

¶ 08 On agriculture: it is commendable that you are continuing projects initiated in our areas under the previous Government. In particular, bringing water via the KCM (Lower Malwathu Oya) scheme to Kattukarai and Agathi Murippu tanks has received an allocation of Rs. 6,014 million, enabling us to cultivate 30,000 acres of paddy, increase sowing, and benefit field crops. However, in Musali, Nanattan, Manthai West and Madhu, many agricultural lands have been gazetted as forest due to GPS-based demarcations done without adequate local consultation after people were displaced during the war. As a result, cultivation is blocked. Since 1985, steps have been taken to release improperly gazetted lands; that process must continue so that we can create an agricultural revolution by modernizing cultivation on these lands.

¶ 09 We also laid the foundation for the Pali Aru project to resolve drinking water issues in Jaffna and Mannar and supply irrigation water. But I do not see funding in this Budget. Please allocate funds and implement it, as Jaffna and parts of Mannar face a severe drinking water crisis.

¶ 10 In Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu, several projects funded by foreign assistance have begun, but more resources are needed for tanks, field roads and canals. The North and East, affected by 30 years of war, need targeted allocations to spark an agricultural transformation. Though the Budget has provisions, there are gaps; please address them so our farmers benefit. In Nedunkerny and Madhu, lack of farm roads forces farmers to carry paddy and fertilizer on their shoulders over long distances, wasting much of their income on transport. Please provide dedicated funds or secure foreign assistance to build farm roads and canals.

¶ 11 Previously, there was a dedicated Ministry for Resettlement and Rehabilitation that implemented many programmes. Now, funds and tasks are dispersed across Ministries, delaying completion. Please provide adequate funding to substantially complete resettlement and rehabilitation so that there is practically no pending caseload.

¶ 12 Thank you.