By Saman Idrajith

Industry Minister Wimal Weerawansa told Parliament, yesterday, that not a single Indian national had been allowed into the country as an employee or any person to obtain technical assistance since the outbreak of COVID-19.

 Responding to a question by Kurunegala District SJB MP Thushara Indunil, the Minister said that there had been rumours to the effect that the recent Minuwangoda cluster of COVID-19 patients had been triggered off by Indians but they had no basis.

 MP Indunil asked whether the government would admit that the outbreak of COVID-19 via Minuwangoda cluster had been caused by a group of Indian nationals who had been permitted to enter the country without quarantine. The government had allowed Brandix Company to bring 22 Indian employees to Sri Lanka, the MP alleged.  

 Minister Weerawansa said that COVID-19 was not a subject coming under his purview, but he had looked into the matter. Any foreign national, coming here as an employee or a technical officer of a factory, should get the prior approval of the Ministry of Industries. “So, I checked with the ministry officials. No such approval has been given since the outbreak of pandemic for an Indian national. The companies that function under the Board of Investments should get a similar approval from the BOI. I checked with the BOI, and it has not given the approval since the outbreak of the pandemic. Thereafter I checked it with the controller Immigration and Emigration. There are no records on giving approval to an Indian national,” the Minister said.

The Minister said as the Industries Minister he knew that the Ministry had not granted approval to bring in Indian nationals.

Minister Weerawansa said that there was no ground for the rumour that government’s negligence had caused the Minuwangoda Cluster.