Govt. designates media non-essential: Ananda Palitha

The government is suppressing the media to prevent them from exposing the corrupt and fraudulent activities of the government by not allowing them to obtain fuel under essential service category, Samagi United Trade Union Force (SUTUF) convener and media spokesman Ananda Palitha said.

He told media that fuel for buses, school vans, and office transport services are not classified under essential services.

All the employees fall under the essential service category. The government should expose in details about the availability of fuel in hand, the distribution dates, places, and capacity through websites and mobile applications.

He said the media institutions are the only ones that can expose the truth among the people. That is the reason the government does not issue fuel to them and determine not to classify them under essential service category. 

"People in the country have the right to know the truth through the media. An act was passed yesterday to hand over the country's fuel business to India and several institutions from the gulf states. People used to pay revenue licence fees, relevant taxes and insurance for their personal vehicles. They use money from their own pocket to refuel. All their personal duties fall under the essential category, "he said.

All information are reported to the public 24 hours a day by the local media. The Ministry of Mass Media and Information stated that it held discussions with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) to supply only the diesel required to run the media institutions.

Nevertheless, they said petrol could not be provided. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)