Govt. should launch relief programme in lockdown areas: Vijitha

• Daily wage earners are without a livelihood

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  

The National Peoples’ Power (NPP) MP Vijitha Herath yesterday urged the government to immediately launch a programme to provide relief to the people in the lockdown areas in the Gampaha District.  

He told Parliament that people in the lockdown areas were facing various issues due to the lockdown for five days now.  

He said the government has failed to implement any relief programme to the people who were under lockdown for nearly a week and added that the government should take steps to provide at least essential commodities to the people.  “People are facing various issues. Daily wage earners are without a livelihood now as they cannot go out for work. Shops are closed and people are unable to purchase essential goods. None of the government institutes has come up with any plan to address this issue,” he said.