Specialist Dr. Anil Jasinghe says that his appointment as the Secretary to Ministry of Environment was a promotion.
The former Director-General of Health Services who pioneered in the battle against COVID-19 first wave mentioned this joining the ‘Talk with Chathura’ program on Ada Derana 24.
However, the referral of Dr. Anil Jasinghe to the Ministry of Environment, despite him and the entire health staff being able to successfully control the first wave of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, had stirred controversy with several parties expressing various views.
Asked about the appointment, he said: ”Neither I nor anyone else can stop a social discourse. That is the democratic nature of the country. There are newspapers, there are media channels, there are social media. So, different people talk about different things. That talk grows in relation to the roles we play.
”With the appointment of the Cabinet, the President bestowed this post on me as a promotion. That’s all I can say. I can’t say I don’t like this post. Because whatever responsibility is given to me, I am bound to fulfill that responsibility. Today, as Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, I am shouldering that task.”
