Energy crisis to impact Vesak and Poson festivals? – Cabinet Spokesman clarifies

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, stated that no electricity supply restrictions will be imposed during the upcoming Vesak and Poson religious festivals despite the energy crisis that has emerged in Sri Lanka due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Responding to a question raised by a journalist at the Cabinet media briefing today (31), the Minister noted that the government has already implemented several steps to manage energy consumption, including declaring Wednesdays as a public holiday as part of these efforts. 

The Minister made this statement while addressing concerns over electricity usage during religious festivals to be held in May and June in a context where the Commissioner-General of Essential Services has also issued comprehensive guidelines for energy conservation for government institutions.

The Minister said that the government’s priority is to safeguard the overall well-being of the public as much as possible, adding that the government will not restrict electricity for the upcoming Vesak and Poson festivals and that the government will extend state support for these events.

“The daily life of the people is not only about economic activities; we must also protect their cultural, aesthetic, and social life as much as possible. The necessary state support for them will be provided from our side,” he said.

“However, given the current global situation, we all think that energy management and the concept of conscious consumption will be taken into account. Therefore, the government has no intention of restricting such festivals,” the Minister added.