Presidential committee to set guidelines for recreational establishments

STRICT guidelines are to be enforced in the operation of hotels, restaurants, clubs, karaokes, casinos and other recreational establishments to ensure that these establishments are not used for activities other than they are approved to cater to.

A Special Committee headed by Public Security, Law and Order Ministry Secretary Tilak Ranaviraja comprising senior officials of relevant Ministries, Departments and statutory organisations, appointed by the President to oversee and monitor the activities of these establishments, has decided on this action.

The Presidential Committee is also working on guidelines for the grant of approval for new recreational establishments. Until these guidelines are worked out by a team of experts, grant of approval for applications for setting up new recreational establishments have been suspended.

The Committee headed by Ranaviraja comprises Secretaries of Tourism Ministry, Urban Development Ministry and Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry and Inspector General of Police, Tourist Board Chairman, Commissioner of the Excise Department, Chairman Board of Investment, Police Narcotics Bureau, Colombo Municipal Commissioner, Chairman National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Controller of Department of Immigration and Emmigration.

Ranaviraja said the Committee which has held several meetings have decided on a series of measures which have already been implemented.

The Committee has appointed a Sub Committee with a Secretariat to receive applications for the establishment of new recreational establishments.

This secretariat has already been set up at the Ceylon Tourist Board at Kollupitiya and all applications regarding new recreational establishments should be submitted to the secretariat addressed to Assistant Director (Corporate Services) Ceylon Tourist Board who could be contacted on 2382623 or 2437954.

The Sub Committee headed by the Tourist Board Chairman and comprising senior officials of Ministries and Departments will study the applications and make their recommendations to the Main Special Committee which will decide on the grant of approval for such establishments based on the new guidelines.

Ranaviraja said these guidelines are being worked out by experts and would be announced shortly.

The Sub Committee receiving and reviewing applications regarding these recreational establishments would meet at least once a week chaired by the Tourist Board Chairman. The approvals granted to establishments would be reviewed in the light of the new guidelines, he said.

The Sub Committee also consists of senior officials and heads of Ministry of Public Security, Law and Order, Tourist Board, Board of Investment, Police, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, the Colombo Municipality, Urban Development Authority, Department of Excise, Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government and Department of Immigration and Emmigration.

The Presidential Committee monitoring the operation of recreational establishments has already implemented a series of measures to keep a tab on such establishments.

Among them are strict enforcement of ban on sale or serving liquor at hotels and restaurants after 1.00 a.m. The Committee noted that several raids on establishments flouring this regulation has been successful.

Police to adopt a common strategy in raids on establishments running ecstasy activities and serving liquor without licence together with Police Narcotics Bureau, Dangerous Drugs Control Board and the Excise Department.

The IGP informed the Committee that raids are now being conducted on ecstasy and liquor serving centres in Bolgoda, Akuregoda and Thalangama areas since these illegal new establishments of recreation have a tendency of shifting to these new areas.

He noted that the serving of liquor without licence has been controlled to a certain extent in Colombo.