According to the gazette notification, the decision was taken in view of the need to maintain normal public life during the current post-disaster conditions affecting the country.
The declaration applies to services provided by government departments, state corporations, local authorities, cooperative societies and their affiliated branches.
The gazette identifies electricity supply, fuel and gas distribution, hospital and healthcare services, public transportation, road and railway operations, airport and port services, water supply and drainage systems, food and essential goods distribution, ambulance services, telecommunications and media operations as essential services.
Services carried out by District Secretariats, Divisional Secretariats, Grama Niladhari officers, Samurdhi officers, agricultural research assistants and other field-level government officials have also been included under the essential services category.
In addition, state banking and insurance services, sanitation and waste disposal operations conducted by local authorities, irrigation services, land reclamation and development activities, as well as agricultural and agricultural insurance services have been declared essential.
The Extraordinary Gazette was issued under powers vested in the President through Section 2 of the Essential Public Services Act.
