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‘Replace Covid task force with Disaster Management Council’

07 May 2021

  • Lawyers’ group to request President

By Pamodi Waravita   The Lawyers’ Forum for the People will be officially requesting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to implement the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act, No.13 of 2005, to face the Covid-19 pandemic under the guidance of the Disaster Management National Council instead of prioritising the current National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Task Force. Speaking to The Morning, the Forum’s Co-Convenor, Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera said that the Disaster Management Act was formed specifically to be enforced in times of disaster such as a pandemic, with the guidance of the Disaster Management National Council established under the said Act, which has the legal authority to deal with disasters, as opposed to a Presidential Task Force.  “The Council is supposed to be represented by the President, the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader, 20 Ministers, and the nine Chief Ministers of the Provincial Councils. A special fund also operates under this Council, which handles all spending and donations related to the particular disaster. The fund is also audited, so it is a transparent process,” said Perera. Perera added that the Task Force currently leading the operations against the Covid-19 pandemic should not be making policy decisions, as the aforementioned Act gives legal authority to the National Council for resource management, funds allocation, awareness programmes, and other activities with regard to the pandemic. Furthermore, Perera said that if their request does not receive positive feedback, the Forum hopes to obtain a writ order regarding the enforcement of the Disaster Management Act from the Court of Appeal. According to Perera, the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act, No.13 of 2005 was formed following the tsunami in December 2004, noting that even then, many allegations had arisen regarding the corruption involved in the disbursement of the foreign donations that were received by the Government of Sri Lanka at the time. 


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