Hon. (Mrs.) Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney-at-Law

Hon. Presiding Member, during this debate on extending the Emergency Regulations under the Public Security Ordinance, I must say it is regrettable how some in the Opposition are behaving. They seem agitated because their hopes of living off the public purse after five years have ended, and now, with no more “retirement plans,” they are picking fights with the Government while preparing for something else. On 26 November last year, continuous heavy rain fell across our areas for days. On 27 November, the “Ditva” cyclone struck and the central highlands were severely affected. Villages were cut off, people could not contact one another, even phone links failed. What did Members of the Opposition try to do then? While our Government worked to deliver relief to those affected by the “Ditva” cyclone, they tried to trip us up, claiming they would “help” by bringing proposals, while actually obstructing. A Member from Kandy District — a former Minister — spoke here about a quarry in Ilukkuthota, Urulewatta, and Udunuwara, asking whether this is a Government that protects the environment. Did that quarry start under this Government with new licences this year? No, Hon. Presiding Member. That quarry has existed for a very long time. Those in the Opposition should check their own files to see which Government granted that licence and when. It was not this Government. Yes, there has been impact to a vihara and to an entire village — a village where a majority of our Muslim people live. We know they have suffered. But those authorizations were given long before we came in. In Gampola and the Nawalpitiya electorate, many difficult areas were devastated. Massive rocks fell along the road from Kandy to Kurunduwatta in the Nawalpitiya electorate. Boulders came down from the Ambuluwawe reservoir area. These were not natural rocks; they were properly cut, squared building stones. Anyone could see they had been quarried by someone and placed above — not formed by the mountain itself. We walked village by village and saw this with our own eyes. Those boulders crashed into homes and highways, causing considerable losses. The country bore heavy costs to repair that damage. This happened also because of the support some gave to their own private businesses, colluding and misusing positions and influence. In Mawathura, the entire village of Ihalagama slipped; only a few families remain in part of that village, with no access road. Entire families died. Before claiming that these relief proposals are “not necessary,” did you visit and listen to the grief of the only surviving relative in some families? Did you ask what really happened? While you were in power, lands and tanks were created in those high areas. Go and ask the people. They say a tank breach contributed to the Ihalagama landslide. It is not this Government that cannot visit those people — it is those who laid the foundation stones for these disasters who now cannot face them. While you try to inflame these people, they tell us who is really behind the whispering campaigns. We remain closer to the people than you are. We are the MPs who still go to the fields and the markets. Every one of our party’s representatives knows the people’s heartbeat and what must be done for them, and we act accordingly. We do not just say, “Because of this disaster, let the children sleep on the floor.” We work. Today, the Hon. President is in Kandy. He is granting relief to those affected by the “Ditva” cyclone in Kandy District and is also laying foundation stones to commence several development projects. Those works and cheque disbursements are underway. Land and compensation for resettlement are being provided today. In addition, under the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme launched under the leadership of the Hon. Prime Minister, compensation and the construction of new houses for fully damaged households are being implemented. The district commencement for Kandy is being held today under the President’s leadership. Housing assistance was distributed at Kundasale. We are not telling the people of the Central Province to simply “endure” because this was a natural disaster. We are not postponing development; we are proceeding. Work on the Mahiyawa tunnel road commences today, with a project cost of Rs. 699.6 million. In the Nawalpitiya town, water supply failed due to pipelines being washed away. From 28 November there was no water; by 12.30 a.m. on the 29th the system was repaired; by the morning of the 30th, we were able to supply water to the Nawalpitiya District General Hospital. We did this through community participation. Under the emergency, we swiftly mobilized: In the Ganga Ihala Korale DS Division in Nawalpitiya — a very low-income area with minimal local authority capacity — they had only one backhoe. We brought machinery and assistance from the Colombo Municipal Council and quickly restored normalcy. In Akurana, where even light rain floods the town, we know the hardships. With the agreement of the Karandeniya, Elpitiya, and Weligama-Divithura Pradeshiya Sabhas in Galle District, we immediately restored Akurana using two backhoes, four excavators, three tippers, and a truck, together with their officers and workers. Do not try to turn this disaster into an opportunity to take revenge on the Government. I conclude by asking you not to capitalize on tragedy. Thank you.