Police introduces new system to issue curfew passes

• Curfew passes will be issued under 4 categories considering number of employees
• Police also instructed to issue passes on humanitarian grounds 
• State officials allowed to use ID as curfew passes

In an effort to minimise irregularities when issuing curfew passes, the Government has introduced a new system that places curfew passes under four categories.

According to the President Media Division’s (PMD) statement, curfew passes will be issued under four categories. Accordingly, passes will be issued through Police Headquarters, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police offices, Police Superintendent offices and Police stations.

Police Headquarters will be issuing curfew passes for institutions in Colombo District with more than 50 employees and the Western Province Senior DIG office will issue curfew passes to institutions with more than 50 employees in Gampaha and Kalutara Districts, it said. “Curfew passes to institutions with more than 50 employees in other provinces will be issued by their respective Senior DIG offices. However institutions with less than 50 employees and more than 10 will have to obtain their curfew passes from the divisional Police Superintendent offices,” it added. Accordingly, curfew passes will be issued to institutions with less than 10 employees from local Police stations. Police have also been instructed consider issuing passes to individuals on humanitarian grounds.

PMD also stated that employees of State institutions such as ministries, departments and authorities will be able to use their official identification cards as curfew passes. However, PMD noted legal action would be taken against those who misuse their identification cards.