The Hon. Arun Hemachandra - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, we are conducting this debate at a very important moment. Various speakers earlier expressed various opinions; that is their right. However, I earnestly request that we do not utter falsehoods in this august House.

¶ 02 Before I begin, I wish to note that there has been an announcement regarding a temporary ceasefire related to the conflict in the Middle East. We appreciate this statement. We also hope that this temporary truce will be used as a path towards a permanent peace. That is our sincere wish, and we extend our thanks to all those involved in this effort. I see this declaration as one of great significance not only to the Middle East but to the entire world. Moreover, we continue to hold the hope that answers can be found without war and without harm. This opens a way forward for state mechanisms, and again we thank all who have contributed.

¶ 03 Many who took part in this debate raised points, so it is necessary to remind the House of what we have done. I have statistics which I intend to table. Particularly regarding the relief and compensation provided after the “Ditva” cyclone, some made light of our efforts. We work with officials, cordially. A very positive response has been that, compared to earlier compilations, the number of claimants coming to obtain compensation is very low. I believe you too are aware. Therefore, I wish to recap the assistance we provided.

¶ 04 For restoring homes affected by the cyclone, we undertook to grant Rs. 25,000. We have paid that allowance to 431,166 beneficiaries, totalling Rs. 10,710.75 million — a 99.37% progress. For the Rs. 50,000 allowance, we have paid 157,998 beneficiaries, totalling Rs. 7,899.98 million — a 95.01% progress. For schoolchildren affected by “Ditva,” we committed to Rs. 15,000 through the Ministry and an additional Rs. 10,000 through the President’s Fund, totalling Rs. 25,000.

¶ 05 Regarding the progress of those payments, we have paid Rs. 2,683.35 million to 178,890 children for school supplies — 89.31% of the work is now complete, with a few cases pending due to statistical clarifications, which we expect to finalise shortly. We also provided a rent allowance scheme for temporary housing; the final number of beneficiaries is 7,672, with payments totalling Rs. 347.97 million — an 80.41% payment rate. For loss of livelihood, 882 beneficiaries received Rs. 113.97 million.

¶ 06 We also undertook to pay compensation for deaths caused by this disaster. Accordingly, the total number of beneficiaries paid is 410, with Rs. 445.41 million disbursed. For full and partial house damages due to the cyclone, we undertook to pay compensation. For fully damaged houses, 289 beneficiaries have been paid a total of Rs. 570 million. For partially damaged houses, 5,392 beneficiaries have been paid. In total, Rs. 1,364.92 million has been paid for full and partial housing damage.

¶ 07 It is essential to give these answers to the Opposition who continue to spread lies and slander in this House. I hereby table all documents containing details of these payments related to the cyclone. These documents are dated 2026.03.27 and duly signed by relevant officials; they are responsible records. As we are now in April, I believe the progress has further improved.

¶ 08 We all know the condition of the country we took over. As we were advancing significantly as a nation, the “Ditva” cyclone struck. We responded accordingly. While major projects addressing the damages were advancing, the Middle East tensions arose. Yet, as a responsible Government answerable to the people, it is our duty to provide leadership and organize relief programmes in any circumstance. We have done so and will continue to do so expeditiously with courage and capacity.

¶ 09 Yesterday, the President presented a special relief package. It is significant. It considers SMEs, gives special focus to farmers and to fishers, and provides allowances to low-income “Aswesuma” recipients.

¶ 10 - Placed in the Library.