Connect with us

News

Lokuge admits he intervened to have Piliyandala lockdown lifted to protect daily wage earners

Published

on

by Sanath Nanayakkare

Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge, yesterday, said in an interview with Hiru News, that he had influenced the lifting of the lockdown in Piliyandala for the sake of daily-wage earners.

“There has been extensive coverage in the media about this. If the lifting of the isolation of Piliyandala was wrong then it should have been reimposed again,” he said.

When asked whether he had spoken to the Commander of the Army about it, he said, “A superintendent of police who was with me there spoke to the Army Commander subsequent to the discussion we had because he was a responsible figure of the coronavirus task force and an MP couldn’t act on it.”

Asked when health authorities in the area had decided to lockdown the area and the Director General of Health issued instructions to that effect and whether the minister’s intervention meant that there was no ground for that decision, Lokuge said, “There was a flaw in that decision. There are about 200,000 residents in the area. And isolation would have affected their livelihoods. There are so many self-employed people. Tuk-tuk drivers, bus operators, bakery owners, etc., would have been hit hard as a result of that decision,”

Responding to a question on how the lockdown imposed on the morning of 02 May had been lifted on the same evening, he said,” Don’t ask me. Ask the health authorities. I never requested the health authorities to lift it. There was no need for me to do that. My duty was to present the case to them and then it was up to them to analyse the ground situation based on data and make a decision. How can I make such decisions?”

Asked if politicians in other parts of the country had intervened in the same way and influenced to roll back coronavirus travel restrictions, would it have been correct, the Minister said,” It is not brainless people who have been appointed as health authorities. They should know better to tell the politicians whether it can be done.The authorities need to know whether a minister’s order of this nature can be accepted or not.”

The Minister said that he shouldn’t be held responsible for any potential Covid deaths in the area. It has to be handled by the health authorities. I only presented the case and they made the decision to lift the lockdown order. I did my duty as a politician of the area,” he said.

At the time of writing this, it was reported by MOH that the Piliyandala Trade Complex was closed until further notice as 101 Covid-19 cases were detected during random tests.



Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Level III landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Matale extended

Published

on

By

The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has extended the  Level III RED landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Matale until 1600hrs on 11th December 2025.

Accordingly,
The LEVEL III RED landslide warnings issued to the the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Kundasale, Pasbage Korale, Medadumbara, Ganga Ihala Korale, Hatharaliyadda, Pathadumbara, Doluwa, Panvila, Gangawata Korale, Ududumbara, Akurana, Yatinuwara, Harispattuwa, Deltota, Thumpane, Poojapitiya, Udapalatha, Udunuwara, Minipe and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Aranayaka, Yatiyanthota, Rambukkana, Bulathkohupitiya and Mawanella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Mawathagama and Rideegama in the Kurunegala district, and Rattota, Laggala Pallegama, Ukuwela, Matale, Wilgamuwa, Pallepola, Naula, Yatawatta and Ambanganga Korale in the Matale district have been extended.

LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been  issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Ella, Haputhale, Lunugala, Welimada, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Warakapola, Galigamuwa, Kegalle, Dehiowita, Ruwanwella and Deraniyagala in the Kegalle district, Polgahawela and Alawwa in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale East, Walapane, Thalawakele, Nuwara Eliya, Kothmale West, Nildandahinna, Mathurata, Ambagamuwa Korale, Hanguranketha and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district. and Kolonna, Godakawela and Kahawaththa in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been  issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Divulapitiya, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, and Kiriella, Eheliyagoda, Balangoda, Kaltota, Openayake, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Ayagama, Kuruwita, Kalawana, Elapatha, Pelmadulla and Ratnapura in the Ratnapura district.

 

Continue Reading

News

“We cannot allow flooding to become a part of the daily lives of the people in the Colombo District” – PM

Published

on

By

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that unauthorized constructions within the Colombo District, nor any form of residential developments that endanger the public carried out under the guise of development agenda will not be allowed.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the media at the conclusion of the Colombo District Disaster Management Committee meeting held on Tuesday [December 09] at the Colombo District Secretariat.

Addressing further, the Prime Minister stated:

“The Colombo District has become vulnerable to this extent due to the constructions carried out without any proper planning or understanding of regulations, along with personal and politically motivated decisions that have placed both the district and its people at risk.

Compared to the districts that suffered severe loss of life and property due to the recent cyclone, the damage to the Colombo District has been relatively lower. However, special intervention is being carried out together with the relevant institutions to manage the potential future flood risks in the district.

This matter was also given special attention during today’s District Disaster Management Committee meeting. We cannot allow the flooding to become a regular part of the lives of the people in Colombo. All relevant institutions will come together to put forward a common plan for flood control in the district.”

The Prime Minister further stated that discussions are already underway to provide sustainable solutions for the people living in high-risk areas within the Colombo District.

The discussion was attended by the Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyaratne, and Colombo District Members of Parliament Aruna Panagoda and Chandana Suriyarachchi.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Continue Reading

Latest News

Russia gifts 35 tonnes of Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka

Published

on

By

The handover of 35 tonnes of Russian Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka, recently affected by the cyclone «Ditwah», took place at  Katunayake today (10th December)

The shipment was welcomed at the Katunayake airport by Ambassador of Russia Levan Dzhagaryan, Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation  Anura Karunathilaka and Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).

Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan: said “This delivery is a reflection of long-term friendly relations between Russia and Sri Lanka and reaffirms Moscow’s commitment to support countries in a difficult humanitarian situation.”

The supplies brought by the EMERCOM (Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations) aircraft comprised a movable 60 kW electric power station,  Pumping equipment for water drainage, Summer tents (10-person capacity) and  Food supplies (sugar, vegetable oil, rice)

The total cargo weight is 35 metric tonnes. The aid will be distributed among the most affected regions.

 

Continue Reading

Trending