Granting more powers to PHIs : AG's opinion to be sought

25 Jun 2020

Granting more powers to PHIs : AG's opinion to be sought

25 Jun 2020

*PHIs seek more powers under Quarantine Act *Minister seeks more time to amend laws By Maheesha Mudugamuwa The Health Ministry is to seek the Attorney General’s (AG) opinion over the granting of more powers to Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) under the Quarantine Act, The Morning learnt. At a meeting held between the PHI Union of Sri Lanka (PHIUSL) and Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi yesterday (24), the Minister has informed the PHIs that a sudden decision to give more powers to them couldn’t be made and that could only be done after seeking the opinion of the AG, Health Ministry Media Spokesman Viraj Abeysinghe told The Morning. After receiving the AG’s opinion, the necessary amendments should be submitted to the Cabinet and to the Parliament, Wanniararchchi has said. “After amending the Quarantine Act only could the necessary powers be given to the PHIs,” the Minister told the PHIs at yesterday’s meeting. The PHIUSL last week said that a decision whether to quit from Covid-19-related duties would be taken this week after postponing the trade union (TU) action which was scheduled last week. The demands made by the PHIs were to include the gazette of health guidelines issued by health authorities under the Quarantine Act and to vest the PHIs with powers under the act to take action against those who violate the act. The PHIs last month also warned TU actions on several demands including giving more powers to them, but they withdrew the TU action after a discussion held with Ministry officials. PHIUSL Treasurer D.Y.S.R.R. Mudalige stressed that it was difficult to take some legal actions under the Quarantine Act against those who violate Covid-19 guidelines due to the lack of powers given to them. However, PHIs warned that they would quit election-related Covid-19 activities unless the Government meets their demands. Meanwhile, when asked whether the election process will be affected if the PHIs decided to quit election duties, Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told The Morning that there will be no such issue and everything will be sorted by the time the elections are held. In the meantime, all attempts made by The Morning to contact the PHIUSL, following the meeting held with Minister Wanniarachchi last evening, were futile.

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Granting more powers to PHIs : AG's opinion to be sought

Granting more powers to PHIs : AG's opinion to be sought

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