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RS. 80.00 PAGES 48 / SECTIONS 5 VOL. 02 – NO. 31 SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2020 Maintain Distance, Stay Safe www.themorning.lk epaper.themorning.lk www.aruna.lk epaper.aruna.lk LONG PATH PARLIAMENT: MONEY PRINTING: PROVE YOU FOR ECONOMIC TO RECONVENE FAULTY TAX CAN FUNCTION, REVIVAL OR NOT? REFORMS BLAMED SEC TELLS CSE »SEE PAGE 8 »SEE PAGE 9 »SEE PAGE 6 »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 Colombo from curfew to lockdown z Offices opened; people allowed to walk z Rotating ID number system introduced BY AGRA RANASINGHE extended beyond 4 May, such a Province are guaranteed an end to freedom to choose employees from within walking distance. system has all the attributes of a what would by then be a six-week different divisions to come into office Even for these needs, citizens will Colombo is likely to shift from curfew to a lockdown from 4 lockdown akin to those imposed curfew. on different days. only be permitted to go out based May onwards, with greater freedom of mobility for citizens throughout the western world. Heads of government and non- Citizens are not allowed to stay on the last number on their identity and less restrictions on economic activity. A lockdown is generally regarded government offices have been ordered on the roads and gather in places card, even to fulfil their essential as less restrictive than curfew, to discuss further plans pertaining so as to prevent the spread of the needs. The conditions are imposed Under this potential lockdown, yesterday (25) evening and these with greater mobility and greater to the work process within next virus. Public transportation will be as follows. offices will be allowed to open, travel measures apply to the districts of individual responsibility by citizens, week and all the offices should be restricted only for employees and Citizens whose last digit on between districts will be permitted Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, and while imposing curfew is a measure opened at 10 a.m. daily. Only one- essential workers and other people their identity card is 1 or 2 will be for work purposes, and citizens will Puttalam. aimed at keeping people at home in third of the workers can be present are required to stay at home. As the allowed to step out of their houses on be allowed to step out of their homes Even though the President’s Office fear of arrest. in departments, corporations, and statement reads, people are only Mondays, 3 or 4 on Tuesdays, 5 or 6 to fulfil essential needs. in its statement has said that these Therefore, whether the Government government offices. Other workers allowed to go out to buy medicines on Wednesdays, 7 or 8 on Thursdays, The statement in this regard was relaxation measures would come lifts curfew on 4 May or shifts to a can continue to work from home. or to fulfil other essential needs, and and 9 or 0 on Fridays. issued by the President's Office into effect if the curfew was to be lockdown, citizens of the Western The officials have been given the that too only to shops or pharmacies Contd. on page 2 Heavy Army presence around P’ment RELIEF FOR ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS z Eran, Harsha request clarification security changes. What was the Bills only for threat assessment? Was there In a letter to the Secretary General armed forces and questioned the a terrorist threat? We have not of Parliament, former Ministers Speaker on what necessitated such received any indication of a threat Eran Wickramaratne and Harsha security arrangements. that necessitated a change of usual units consumed de Silva have revealed that “With an islandwide curfew security arrangements,” they ask z No additional charges for March and April the perimeter of the Parliament and a lockdown, we wanted to in a letter dated 24 April. Complex is being guarded by the know what necessitated such Contd. on page 2 BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA Power and Energy Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. The Government has decided He told The Sunday Morning not to charge any additional that the Ceylon Electricity Board amount in the March and April (CEB) would charge only for the Back to business No foreign electricity bills to avoid causing units used by the consumers. monitors? any inconvenience to consumers, Contd. on page 2 It is highly unlikely that international observers would be brought down to monitor the parliamentary elections, The Sunday Morning learnt. Contd. on page 2 GRADUATE RECRUITS Yet to receive allowance The monthly allowances promised by the Government for newly recruited graduates are yet to be paid, The Sunday Morning learnt. Contd. on page 2 Colombo MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT curfew The Peliyagoda Central Fish Market Complex reopened for trade yesterday continues Seeks Rs. (25) after the 529 people working there tested negative for Covid-19 The curfew will continue till 4 PHOTO LALITH PERERA May in the districts of the Western 1.4 b to pay Province, including Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, and Puttalam. salaries ISSUING CURFEW PASSES FOR CANDIDATES Contd. on page 2 BY SARAH HANNAN Minister of Passenger Transport No powers says EC Rains to Management Mahinda Amaraweera BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA during this pandemic. Therefore, will seek Cabinet approval to release the issuing of curfew passes is intensify funds of Rs. 1.4 billion to pay salaries The Election Commission (EC) the jurisdiction of the Police, of public transport employees. has no powers to issue curfew not the Election Commission,” The Minister said the estimated daily passes, The Sunday Morning learnt. Deshapriya said. after today revenue loss for the Sri Lanka Transport EC Chairman Mahinda He said that candidates, The Department of Meteorology Board (SLTB), Sri Lanka Railways (SLR), Deshapriya said that it was up to as individual citizens, could predicts that showery conditions and the Department of Motor Traffic the Police to issue curfew passes. request curfew passes from their over the island are likely to (DMT) accumulated to Rs. 121 million. “Curfew was imposed for the respective police stations. intensify after today (26). Contd. on page 2 health security of the people Contd. on page 2 Contd. on page 2 2 the sunday morning NEWS Sunday, April 26, 2020 BY SARAH HANNAN RACKETEERS INVADE EASTERN AND UVA PROVINCE FOREST RESERVES Amidst the islandwide curfew, organised groups have been misusing their curfew passes and land clearance permits to gain access to forest reserves, where they have engaged in illegal land acquisitions and Forests under fire timber rackets. Illegal land acquisition and timber rackets aplenty Several such incidents were reported since the beginning of April and the area Police along with the Forest Department officers have been able to apprehend the suspects and charge them in courts. Pamburugaswewahinna Reserve in Gomarankadawala is one of the few forests situated in the Trincomalee District. The forest is home to many endemic trees of Sri Lanka yet in the recent past, an organised group of land encroaches destroyed about a 20-acre land area of the forest by cutting down massive trees such as weera, palu, Trees cleared in Pankulama Forest PHOTOS LAKMAL BADUGE FROM TRINCOMALEE buruttha, and Ceylon ebony. It is reported that at least 280 Department of Forest Conservation to carried out during the curfew. number of elephants and wildlife. illegally acquire more than 75 trees had been felled during the carry out an investigation in the area. It is said that this group had It is said that this land acquisition acres of land from Weherakema to deforestation process. Two of the During the investigation obtained a permit to clear a land is being carried out by organised Sellakataragama, an area which is suspects had been later arrested by they were able to retrieve the area and had also obtained groups with the intervention of a located one-and-a-half kilometres the Gomarankadawala Police. electrical saws that were used a curfew pass to carry out local politician in Kataragama. along the Galahitiya Road, The suspects along with a to cut the trees. In addition work during the curfew. Residents said that the group was Kandasuridugama, Kataragama. few more people had entered to that, the Police had also However, they had previously involved in a number of It is learnt that they are already the Pamburugaswewahinna observed that the group misused the permit and racketeering activities where they occupying the land with agricultural Reserve on 5 April and cleared had damaged several curfew pass and entered illegally acquired land which were equipment and have commenced about 10 acres of the forest ancient ruins within the the forest reserve to cut wildlife habitats and sold them to constructions on temporary tents undertow at the banks of forest reserve as well. down these valuable residents and businessmen in other and concrete pillars. the reservoir and then used Gomarankadawala Area trees. areas. Kataragama Special Task Force electrical saws to fell the Forest Officer Parakum The Kuchchaveli More than 30 acres of land Camp Officer in Charge (OIC) M. massive trees on an additional Bandra said: “The timber Police are carrying out have been illegally damaged Palliyaguru said: “We are not able land area of 10 acres from the felled trees will further investigations. in the adjacent areas of to act on this land acquisition case. be sent to the State Timber An illegal land Pallavakulam, which is located We can intervene if the request is The suspects along with few Corporation. The Police acquisition incident was in the Pankulama Forest. Trees made by the Department of Wildlife more people had entered the already started investigations reported to have taken place and small shrubs were cut Conservation. We can also arrest Pamburugaswewahinna Reserve on the incident and recorded in the Uva Province.

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