Final report on political victimisation to be submitted to Parliament

• The Cabinet on Monday gave the consent to accept the sign language as a recognised means of communication 

By Sandun A Jayasekera  

The Cabinet that met on Monday gave the approval to submit the final report of the Presidential Commission that probed political victimisation from 08, January 2015 to 16th November 2019 to Parliament for necessary action.   

The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that was tasked to probe and report on alleged political victimisation during the Yahapalana regime on public servants, employees of statutory boards, corporations and authorities, had already handed over the report to President Rajapaksa.  The Cabinet on Monday also gave the nod to provide a range of relief to electricity and water consumers including those who earned a living after being 
severely affected from the 
Covid- 19 pandemic.  
Accordingly, they will be offered a grace period of six months effective from the date of bill issued to settle their tariff. The supply of electricity and water to their residences or of business establishments will not be discontinued during the grace period.  
The public and commercial establishments involved in tourism and film industry who were subjected to a 14- day quarantine in particular will get this relief  from March to December 2020.  
The cinema theatres registered under the National Film Corporation (NFC) and tourist inns, tourist hotels, guest houses etc. registered under the Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority (SLTDA) have also been permitted to pay their electricity and water tariff bills in 12 instalments.  
The Cabinet also gave approval to amend the Immigration and Emigration Act No. 20 of 1948, Stamp Duty Act No. 12 of 2006, Provincial Councils (Transfer of Stamp Duty) Act No 13 of 2011 and the National Wages Act No. 3 of 2016 in order to update them to suit present days requirements.  

The amendments will be referred to the Legal Draftsman to draft the relevant amendments.  

The Cabinet on Monday gave the consent to accept the sign language as a recognised means of communication for the benefit of severe hearing- impaired community in Sri Lanka.  
The Legal Draftsman will draft the relevant Bill for the purpose to be approved by the Cabinet and Parliament.  

After the legal provisions are in place, the hearing impaired community will get the right to use the sign language as their legally accepted mode of communication for legal, commercial, social and any other field. 

Blurb-The cinema theatres registered under the National Film Corporation (NFC)  and tourist inns, tourist hotels, guest houses etc. registered under  the Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority (SLTDA) have also been  permitted to pay their electricity and water tariff bills in 12  instalments.  

-It was tasked to probe and report on alleged political victimisation during  the Yahapalana regime on public servants, employees of statutory  boards, corporations and authorities,   
-The Cabinet on Monday gave the consent to accept the sign language as a recognised means of communication