Cancelling route permits for buses can’t stop us: PHU

Joint Opposition (JO) MP Udaya Gammanpila yesterday said the government can’t stop them from attending the ‘Jana Balaya Kolombata’ protest on Wednesday, by cancelling route permits for buses.

Addressing the weekly news briefing of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), the MP said they would file corruption charges against Transport Authority officers for cancelling the route permits.

“The ulterior motive of Transport Authorities issuing a circular declaring a Passenger Transport Model Week from September 1 is to prevent buses from being used by the people to attend our protest.

All buses should be stuck to its ordinary route during this week. All of a sudden, the necessity of such a week came to the minds of government politicians only on August 29,” he said.

He said those who signed the circulars have abused their office, to discriminate a political party and appease another. “This amounts to corruption defined in Section 70 of the Bribery Act. We will file legal action against these officers at the recently established trial at bar,” he said.

He said the leave of Samurdhi and Agrarian Officers have also been cancelled and they have been advised to stick to office work without going to the field.

“The government is of the view that these officers are capable of mobilizing people at grass-roots level. The National Disaster Management Centre has advised people in the coastal areas to stay in their homes on 5th in the morning since they would hold a Tsunami rehearsal. The government is trying its best to prevent people from participating in the protest,” he said.