During whole of your rule you gave jobs only to 150 graduates

By Walter Nanayakkara and Lishanthie Siriwardena
Parliament met at 9.30 a.m. Friday 11th November 1998 with Speaker K. B. Ratnayake in the chair.

Parliament sat in Committee to discuss votes of the Ministry Samurdhi, Youth Affairs and Sports.

Opening the debate for the Opposition Ranjith Madduma Bandara (UNP-Moneragala District) moved a cut of Rs. 10 from the votes of the Ministry.

Ranjith Madduma Bandara (UNP-Moneragala District): It is the duty of all Governments to ensure that there will be no recurrence of violence of 1971 and 1989, which claimed many young lives.

Apart from those who have passed the GCE (O/L) and GCE (A/L) there are 35,000 unemployed graduates. When the graduates launched a non-violent protest, demanding jobs, the Head of State made some irresponsible remarks. She said there are no jobs for Arts graduates and that she would take no congnisance of hunger strikes in which the participants ate and drank. This is a very irresponsible statement.

The UNP Government had a programme to give employment to graduates. Annually 8000 graduates received jobs under our programme.

During whole of your rule you gave jobs only to 150 graduates.

Under the most publicised poverty alleviation programme you pay a relief of Rs. 1000 only to 15,000 families. Then you pay Rs. 500 to 900,000 families. The other 1 million get either Rs. 200 or Rs. 100. How can you relieve poverty with such peanuts. What can you buy with Rs. 100 or Rs. 200. Can you have a square meal for Rs. 100 or Rs. 200.

You have sent 96 athletes to the 13th Asian Games and the number of officials attending was 75. I urge the Sports Ministry not to spend public money in this manner.

You have done a big mistake by removing Whatmore.

Richard Pathirana (Minister of Education and Higher Education): Can the previous member give me a list of unemployed medical graduates. To my knowledge the final batch that passed out is now serving their term of internship. We have to change the rules to cut the salaries of those who lie in this house. The number of Samurdhi recipients is 28 lakhs. The UNP gave relief only to 4 lakhs.

The UNP couldn't secure even one Pradeshiya Sabha out of the 5 districts. If you were serving the poor as you claim now why didn't you get the vote.

The Sri Lankan cricket team is undergoing a difficult period. They will came out of it. I am certain (Interruptions). Mr. Azwer - Why is it that the Minister goes to the airport to meet the team only when they win their tours? When they lose, only Arjuna's father goes).

Minister - Usually the Opposition kicks off with Susanthika. Today they are not picking on Susanthika because she is taking part in the games. Otherwise they would have revelled in bringing up her name. I request the minister to register all unemployed graduates to quell false figures quoted by the opposition.

Thilan Wjesingha has dismissed reports of the closure of 120 factories the opposition is herping on.

Suranimala Rajapakse (UNP-Gampaha District): After the new government came into power the Youth Service Council has failed to launch any new youth programme.

The Maharagama Youth Centre was built by the United National Party government. You are now altering the designs of the buildings.

The 'Turunu Saviya' Youth programme of your Ministry is a failure. The Youth Service Council could promote football. During the UNP regime we promoted football through the Youth Service Council. The programme has been dropped.

There was an allegation that we did not mention about Susanthika Jayasinghe. I am going to mention about her. You were about to take Susanthika's husband. Your actions have weakened the resolve of our athletes. Today our team participating in the 13th Asian Games has failed to show any enthusiasm. This time victories are unlikely to come our way.

This is due to the mishandling of sports by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Rauf Hakeem (Deputy Chairman of Committees): The ministry that is responsible for the youth of this country and the welfare of the poor has initiated many useful projects. I appreciate the Minister's pledge to send his officials to the Ampara area where there is a lack of progress in implementing the Samurdhi programme. There is increased poverty in these areas that are constantly under security threats. The officials must take some measures to provide Samurdhi relief to the coastal areas of Ampara.

The Samurdhi animators should be allocated some casual leave at least as they don't have any leave. The Samurdhi animators in Ampara have told me they are against the protest campaigns carried out by the rest of the animators throughout the country. They also appealed to me to facilitate a risk allowance for them. The opposition should stop their ploy of resorting to personal vituperative attacks continuously on the minister and allow him to carry on his good work.

Abeyweera Premaratna (PA, Kalutara District): The most noteworthy achievement by the minister, as I see it, is the depoliticisation of the National Youth Services Council that was used by the previous government. The Minister has stopped this.

We have given the most number of benefits to the sportsmen, specially in my area, but we have never pressured them politically.

Samurdhi recipients are not selected on political grounds. The Samurdhi programme has created self-sufficient people that has the ability to become entrepreneurs.

It is unfortunate that some view the 10 percent the cricketers get from their earnings from their tours with contempt. These players are also foreign exchange earners that has brought fame to the country.

A. M. D. Rajan (CWC-Colombo District): The Minister of Samurdhi his two deputies and his secretary and chairman of the Samurdhi Authority are excellent persons doing their job impartially and with no discrimination.

During the UNP time the estate workers had not seen the colour of the Janasaviya. This is not the case today.

Government has allocated Rs. 13.5 million for Samurdhi related Development projects but they have not produced results. They are not implemented due to some reason.

Each estate has a Samurdhi Animater. They represent the estate sector. They have to work under the Grama Niladharis. This is why they cannot implement the projects. They should be freed from Grama Niladhari Control.

As you are going to appoint a Task Force to oversee the implementation of the Samurdhi development projects, please appoint people from the estates to this Task force.

Estate managements are opposed to implementation of Samurdhi Development Projects in their estates. This is a stumbling block.

Members of Parliament should also be allowed to take part in the implementation of these development projects.

Chandrasiri Gajadheera (Deputy Minister of Vocational Training and Rural Industries) : A group of Samurdhi Animators, who were conducting a peaceful protest campaign, have been assaulted. If people protesting peacefully are assaulted in this fashion they will be compelled to take up arms.

There is a conspiracy behind this assault. It was carried out by an identified group. The Minister must investigate into this.

Mr. Gajadheera hands over to the Minister a petition sent to him by a female Samurdhi animator who had been transferred from place to place over a short period for unknown reasons.

Mr. Gajadheera: The National Youth service is doing a great service for the elimination of communalist feelings among the various persons. The President has provided money from the President's Fund to the Youth Service Council for its library.

H. R. Wimalasiri (UNP-Matara District): The so called "job markets" which your government started through the Youth Service Council, with great fanfare, has failled.

This programme initiated as a propaganda measure for the government has caused more irritation among youth. It has not helped a wee-bit in winning the hearts of the jobless young people.

Graduates deny that they were offered job carrying salaries as high as Rs. 15,000 in the private sector, as claimed by the President. No one would throw out an opportunity if they were really offered such jobs. What they were offered ware jobs carrying salaries in the range of Rs. 2500 and Rs. 3000.

I cannot agree that the Samurdhi Programme would eliminate poverty.

We must take serious note of the warning given by Australian Umpire Darrel Hair. If necessary we must stop our team from visiting Australia in the face of such veiled threats against our players.

Mahinda Wijesekera (Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Development): It is true that the amounts paid to Samurdhi beneficiaries is not enough. But the total amount paid is very large. Even when one looks at the quantum of money paid to a single electorate it constitutes big money. These monies could be used for more productive work. But neither can these benefits be withdrawn or further reduced.

We will not discontinue any Samurdhi Animators even if they do not have the stipulated qualifications.

The Minister of Samurdhi and his team could do more if they have more power and more funds and freedom. Everybody including ourselves, who ruled the country over the last 50 years, worked within certain limits. There is what is called the limits of democratic practice. There is also the limits of party politics and the short period of time between election a party can remain in power.

When J. R. Jayewardene changed the Constitution to enable him to remain in power unchallenged he might have had some reason. When he talked about rolling up the electoral map, he might have had some reason

He must have thought then a government needs a period longer than six years to do some tangible work for the country undeterred by Opposition from within or outside.

If we too had that kind of power and strength we too could do much more. The Ministry of Samurdhi, Youth Affairs and Sports could do a lot more if they had the freedom, power and the finance.

Ananda Kularatna (UNP, Hambantota District): We would like to know from the Minister the new projects initiated by this Ministry that has the fate of the younger generation in their hands.

A programme should be initiated to help youth especially the ones who don't enter university, to identify their talents and seek employment that suits them.

There is growing youth unrest in the Hambanthota area. The UNP marked 4 projects in this area that would have developed the area and improved opportunities for youth. I must remind you that Hambantota was very much a part of the youth uprisings in the past.

Piyasena Gamage (Deputy Minister of Irrigation and Power): The Samurdhi programme is not just a scheme to give handouts. The programme inculcates the saving habit among the people and develops their ability to fend for themselves. The Samurdhi recipient receives many other benefits as well. These are actual facts that are taking place at ground level. The Samurdhi recipients receive perks on many important occasions of their lives. This programme is making great headway at village level.

Dinesh Dodangoda (UNP-National List): The two main civil problems afflicting the country were poverty and the youth problem.

President J. R. Jayewardene who identified these problems was bold enough to say that youth problem is nothing but the problem of unemployment.

Today 1.7 million people are unemployed. When we handed over power in 1994 the figure was 936,000. During your term figures of unemployed have doubled.

You might say you could solve unemployment problem if the war could be brought to an end.

I for one, would not accept this argument. I would say that if the war comes to an end the unemployment problem will aggravate. Because over one lakh of soldiers and members of other security organisations would lose their jobs and join the numbers of unemployed.

One lakh of persons with arms training, if unemployed, will cause serious social problems.

M. L. A. M. Hisbulla (Deputy Minister of Science and Technology): I appreciate the idea to establish a Academy of Politics which will train the country's future political leaders.

Another valuable contribution to the welfare of the youths was the "Tharuna Sarasaviya" an institution for young people to obtain degrees outside the University system.

S. Sivathasan (EPDP-Jaffna District): For years the North was lacking in facilities for improving sports, due to the war. I am happy the Minister is now reviewing plans for extending support to the North.