Sri Lanka, Jan. 12 -- The Parliamentary Secretariat has refuted news articles circulated in media under the headline "Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne has decided to take strict action regarding a group of employees using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes within the Parliamentary premises."

Issuing a statement, the Department of Communication of Parliament noted that the news articles have no basis and stressed that the Speaker has never instructed any official of Parliament to take strict action against such groups of employees.

Additionally, the statement noted that reports claiming the Speaker issued such instructions after receiving information that certain employees, including those in the catering division, were secretly using alcohol...