Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa alleged that the government has placed officials of the Meteorological Department under house arrest and barred them from giving free media interviews.
Addressing Parliament today (18), Premadasa said the Meteorological Department, both locally and internationally, had repeatedly warned about the developing depression from the 11th to the 26th.
He questioned why Sri Lanka’s disaster management mechanism was not activated despite these warnings.
“The question we must ask is why our country’s disaster management system was not put into action when such risks were clearly identified. That is a serious issue,” he said.
Premadasa further claimed that officials of the Meteorological Department are currently unable to speak freely to the media.
“Today, Meteorological Department officials cannot give interviews as they wish. They are either under house arrest or confined to their offices. They cannot speak without seeking permission,” he said.
He stressed that suppressing facts is not the solution.
“If we are wrong, we should admit it. If we are right, we should say so. We must correct our mistakes and move forward. Silencing officials of the Meteorological Department will not provide answers. We must understand the truth about this issue,” Premadasa said.
