As displaced families struggle to recover from extreme weather, Namal Rajapaksa warns that poor coordination between state institutions is turning a natural disaster into a deeper public crisis.
The National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Namal Rajapaksa, today said that the hardships faced by the public after the recent disaster have been worsened by weak coordination among government institutions. Speaking during a visit to the Gatambe Sri Rajopawanaramaya in Peradeniya, he said that while field officers at village level are making genuine efforts to assist affected families, failures in communication between state agencies are creating added difficulties.
He pointed out a serious contradiction in current decision making, noting that the Education Ministry is preparing to reopen schools on December 16 while many displaced families are still taking shelter in school buildings. “At the same time, the National Building Research Organisation is advising people to evacuate unsafe homes, while displaced persons are being asked to vacate schools for reopening,” he said, describing the situation as poorly coordinated and confusing for disaster victims. The National Building Research Organisation has continued to issue evacuation warnings in landslide prone zones.
Rajapaksa stressed that reconvening Parliament without delay would help the government better understand the real problems faced by the public and take corrective action. He also called for a select committee to investigate whether early warnings and information about the disaster were properly communicated.
“The government has made many promises, and those promises must be fulfilled. We are watching to see whether the President is taking the necessary steps, and we are ready to assist with coordination if needed,” he said. He added that public suffering increases when trust in government officers is undermined and claimed that instructions have been issued to appoint new coordination officers in certain areas due to doubts about the existing administrative structure.
