Ranil rips into Govt. response to weather crisis

Cites recent SC judgement which established that official negligence during disasters amounts to Constitutional tort, breach of public trust

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FORMER President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday told party leaders that the Government’s handling of the recent disaster exposed systemic failures, including the non-implementation of the Disaster Management Act and the abandonment of the National Disaster Management Plan 2023-2030, despite multiple workshops held this year to familiarise State institutions with its provisions.

Addressing political party leaders and representatives, he said the decision to declare 28 November a holiday had effectively immobilised the Departments, Divisions, and officers assigned responsibilities under the Plan, further weakening the State’s response at a critical moment.

He accused the Government of politicising the distribution of relief by bypassing Parliament, the Cabinet, and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), while simultaneously establishing a parallel disaster relief fund without legal basis.

Wickremesinghe said there was no strategy to confront the scale of the disaster and no plans for rehabilitation and repair, adding that urgent action was also required to address the sale of contaminated meat, fish and eggs reported in affected areas.

Wickremesinghe proposed that Parliament appoint an Oversight Committee on Disaster Management and Reconstruction chaired by an experienced MP, with equal representation from Government and Opposition members.