Services rendered by any public corporation, government department, local authority, co-operative society or any of their branches have been declared as essential services, the Presidential Secretariat stated today (June 02). 

This was announced in a Gazette Extraordinary published by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in accordance with the powers vested in him by Section 2 of the Essential Public Services Act, No. 61 of 1979.

Thereby,

• All services, works or labour of any description necessary or required to be carried out in connection with supply, storage, distribution and regulatory activities of food, beverages including all other essential consumable items to public which performed by Lanka Sathosa Ltd, Co-operative Wholesale Establishment, Food Commissioner Department, Department of Cooperative Development and Cooperative Societies;

• All services, work or labour of any description to be performed by or required by all government offices under the Provincial Councils;

• All services, works or labour of any description to be performed or required by in connection with health services have been declared as essential services.

The aforementioned were identified as essential services for the conduct of ordinary public life, taking into account the possibility of any hindrances or disruptions in the provision of such services, as well as the facts mentioned in the guidelines issued by the Director General of Health Services on COVID-19 prevention, the gazette notification read.

Extraordinary Gazette Notification on Essential Services 2021-06-02 by Adaderana Online on Scribd