• Dept. says no disciplinary inquiry underway

The trade unions (TUs) within the Department of Wildlife Conservation have accused the Department’s management of targeting their representatives in a witch-hunt for speaking out against harmful projects and exposing irregularities within the department.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, a member of a TU affiliated to the department claimed that the department has taken steps to initiate disciplinary action against several TU representatives including Kumarasiri Wijekoon of the Wildlife Range Assistant Professionals’ Association, and U.J. Senarath, and Thilina Sandaruwan of the All-island Wildlife Officers Association, who commented on matters such as the recent wild elephant census and the environmental damage taking place in the Madu Road National Park in Mannar on media and social media platforms.

“A trade union recently pointed out that it is inappropriate to conduct the elephant census at this point. It was a request-based on scientific facts. Also, a member of another Trade Union spoke to the media about the environmental damage that is currently taking place in Madhu Road National Park. He also posted about it on social media platforms. The department has now commenced the process of taking disciplinary action against them. If the TUs in the department do not have the right to speak about wildlife, who else can do it?”

However, when contacted by The Daily Morning, the Director General of the Wildlife Department, Chandana Sooriyabandara said: “It is not disciplinary action, but we have to find out on what basis they (TU representatives) have made such claims.”

In a letter dated 30 August 2024, which was seen by The Daily Morning, the department has informed the TU representative who commented on the matter pertaining to the Madhu Road National Park that the provisions of the Code of Establishments were violated by publishing information and photos-related to the decisions taken by the department on social media platforms without the permission of the department’s management. It is stated in the letter that he has thereby committed the offence of disclosing information in a manner harmful to the Government or public service or a public institution, or giving copies thereof to another party without the permission of a competent authority.