Did the NPP government deactivate the DMC right after coming into power? Find out the facts…

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Various statements have been circulated on social media claiming that the current government has disabled the National Disaster Management Centre, suggesting that this has led to a disastrous situation within the country. After our investigation, we found that the claim is false.

 Social Media Posts 

Social media posts implied that the current government under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake disabled the National Disaster Management Centre, alleging that this action led to Sri Lanka’s crisis due to Cyclone Ditwah. 

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Below is another post with the same narrative

Fact Check 

In accordance with the provisions of the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005, the Disaster Management Centres have been established as the executive bodies of the National Council for Disaster Management (NCDM). Since the establishment of the National Disaster Management Centre, its official website and all disaster management programmes under its supervision have continued to be regularly updated to this day.

During the presidency of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019, several institutions previously under the supervision of the Ministry of Disaster Management were transferred to the Ministry of Defence, including the Disaster Management Centre.

According to claims circulating on social media, if the National Disaster Management Centre were a disabled institution, its official website would not be updated. However, to date, the National Disaster Management Centre continues to maintain a fully functional and regularly updated website, disproving those claims.

Following the completion of the term of office of the former Director General, Major General (Retd.) H. M. U. Herath, Major General (Retd.) Sampath Kotuwegoda was appointed as the new Director General of the Disaster Management Centre (National Disaster Management Centre). This appointment further highlights the inaccuracy of the false claims and the continuous operations at the National Disaster Management Centre.

Similarly, after the current National People’s Power government came to power, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) was clearly stated as a state institution under the Ministry of Defence in the special gazette issued in November 2024 under the signature of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as follows.

Brigadier S. Joseph, Media Director and Media Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence

Furthermore, during an inquiry, Brigadier S. Joseph, the media director and spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, completely refuted the claim that the National Disaster Management Centre was not functioning round the clock under the NPP government and stated that, as has been the practice in the past, the DMC has been operating seamlessly under the NPP rule as well.

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Conclusion:

Our investigation shows that the claim about the National Disaster Management Centre being deactivated after the current government was elected is false; this institution has continued to operate under the Ministry of Defence, just as it did under previous governments, and continues to do so under the current government.