Tamil MP suggests setting up of a community police service under PCs

• Education and health have already been devolved to PCs

By Yohan Perera 

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader Mano Ganesan yesterday proposed setting up of a community police service and vesting it with the provincial councils. 

“Setting up of a community police service under provincial councils is one way of resolving one of the main issues arisen with regard to implementation of the 13th Amendment,” MP Ganesan told journalists. 

“Many have expressed fears about devolving police powers to the provincial councils. This is because of the role which the police had to play during the war. The police had to be armed to defend themselves after police stations were attacked during the war. 

The STF was created after the civil war broke out. Creating a community police service and devolving it to provincial councils is one option when it comes to devolution of power,” the MP said. 
“Education and health have already been devolved to provincial councils. President Ranil Wickremesinghe himself had said provincial councils have the power to set up universities. Therefore we also suggest all schools except for main national schools should be brought under provincial councils. We also suggest that all hospitals except for main national hospitals be handed over to provincial councils,” he added. 

Asked about the recent all-party conference, he said what President highlighted was that the Yahapalana government alone cannot be blamed for the delay in the provincial council election as the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should have also held the elections during his time. 

Also, he said people of all communities should rally around moderate political parties to settle issues pertaining to devolving of power. 

“India got all Tamil armed groups to get involved in provincial councils in 1987. This is why the issue of devolving of power comes up every time a Sri Lanka state leader visits India,” he said. 

•  We also suggest that all hospitals except for main national hospitals be handed over to provincial councils