Presidential Task Force to prevent spread of drugs among students: Bandula

• President had called  for an impartial investigation into the incident 

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera   

The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal to appoint a Presidential Task Force to prevent the spread of drugs including ICE among university and schoolchildren, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said yesterday.   

He told Parliament that the Cabinet had a lengthy discussion over the assault on former Vice Chancellor of the Peradeniya University Prof. Athula Senaratne and his son.  

The Minister said President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the Cabinet that he had called for an impartial investigation into the incident and to provide a special report.  

Parliamentarian Charitha Herath said there had been no such incident in the history of Peradeniya University where some 12,000 students had studied for the past 50 years.  

He said the situation in universities was deteriorating and added that parents would hesitate to send their children to state universities and lecturers would leave the country.  

The MP said the clashes between university students have turned into clashes between university lecturers now. “Internal clashes should be stopped,” he said.  

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said they also condemned the assault and called for an impartial investigation into the incident.  

Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunge said instructions have been given to implement the law against those behind the incident.