The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha – Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation

¶ 01 Mr. Chairman, with limited time I will make key points. First, thanks to many: to Hon. Nalin Bandara for a lively opening; and to the Opposition Chief Organizer, Hon. Gayanta Karunathilaka, for his contributions. However, from the Opposition broadly, I did not hear substantial inputs to build a constructive discussion—though Hon. D.V. Chanaka raised several good points.

¶ 02 On health-sector issues: previously we did not hear of security concerns being raised by health professionals. Now, when the Government is intervening responsibly in a serious incident, calling strikes that inconvenience the public is not acceptable. As a long-time trade unionist, I say: stop the strike and do not burden the people. Thank you, Hon. Chanaka, for raising it.

¶ 03 I also thank my two Deputies, Government Ministers and MPs for their energetic contributions, and acknowledge my Ministry Secretary, Additional Secretaries, and heads and boards of our departments and institutions for their dedicated work, given the scale of our Ministry.

¶ 04 Farmers have longstanding ties with us. Based on our past struggles, they trust this Government to deliver justice. Funds have been allocated. We, as policymakers, must manage and deploy them effectively. Our officers are prepared, and many tasks are already underway.

¶ 05 I must also note the role of Provinces—there is a mandate for agriculture at Provincial level. District Coordinating Committees, District Agriculture Committees, MPs, District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries are now engaging more effectively. Even Divisional Coordinating Committees actively contribute on agriculture, Mahaweli, land and livestock.

¶ 06 The media too informs us of shortcomings responsibly. Across agriculture, livestock, land and irrigation—including Mahaweli—we see wide engagement. Although Mahaweli was once under a separate Minister, it now comes under our broader brief. We pledge to the people and this House that funds allocated for the next eight months will be used efficiently and accountably.

¶ 07 I also acknowledge the support of the Secretary-General of Parliament and staff.

¶ 08 We have an eight-month Budget. We aim to fulfill our promises within this period, especially in agriculture. Our Cabinet Ministers, Deputies and MPs are working with great commitment. We have secured strong Cabinet support for submissions related to agriculture. The President has deep knowledge of these subjects; when issues arise, we discuss them with him. As former Minister overseeing these areas—though Mahaweli was then separate—he intervened successfully, and his practical and principled understanding of agriculture and irrigation is a great help today. As Finance Minister, he has ensured adequate funding. With thanks to him, I conclude. Thanks to all who participated and supported this debate.