News
AG urges that PSC is the authority for determining retirement age
The Attorney General has informed the Court of Appeal that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has the authority to make decisions regarding the retirement of all public servants, including doctors, and that the Court of Appeal does not have the power to issue orders in this regard.
Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, who appeared in court for the Attorney General, mentioned this when a writ petition filed by 176 medical specialists against their retirement at the age of 60 was called.
When the petition was taken up before a bench comprising Court of Appeal President Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and M.A.R. Marikkar on Wednesday, Pulle raised a preliminary objection regarding the petition.
He pointed out that according to the constitutional law, public servants should retire at the age of 60 and if the retirement age is extended by going beyond the said constitutional law, the Public Service Commission has the power to make related decisions.
The ASG submitted that the Appellate Court is not in a position to intervene and give orders and urging that this petition cannot be maintained.Accordingly, he requested the court to issue a notice to the respondents in this petition and dismiss it at the first stage without taking it to trial.
After considering the facts, the appellate court decided to announce its order on May 17 regarding whether to accept this preliminary objection or not.The interim order suspending the gazette notification issued regarding compulsory retirement of government employees who have completed 60 years of age only for doctors and specialists was extended until the next court date.
The petition was filed by a group of doctors specializing in various medical fields including heart disease and neurology.Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Cabinet of Ministers and several others have been named as respondents.
The petition states that specialist doctors could have worked till the age of 63 normally. The Cabinet has decided on 17-10-2022 to reduce the age limit to 60 years and retire all public servants.
President’s Counsel who represented the petitioners previously urged that the decision was illegal and it was their legitimate expectation to continue in service until at least the age of 63. Therefore, they requested the court to annul the government’s decision to set 60 years as the age of compulsory retirement.
Having considered these facts, the court issued an interim order suspending the gazette notification issued by the government deciding to retire public servants at the age of 60 only to specialists and doctors.
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura
The National Building Research Institute [NBRI] has issued Landslide Early Warnings to the Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura valid upto 0900 AM on 23rd May 2026.
Accordingly,
LEVEL I [RED] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Deraniyagala, Ruwanwella and Dehiowita in the Kegalle district and Ratnapura, Ayagama, Kuruwita and Eheliyagoda in the Ratnapura district.
LEVEL II [AMBER] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo district, Attanagalla in the Gampaha district, Horana, Bulathsinhala, Ingiriya and Palindanuwara in the Kalutara district, Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district and Pelmadulla, Kiriella, Elapatha, Kalawana and Nivithigala in the Rathnapura district.
LEVEL I [YELLOW] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Mirigama and Divulapitiya in the Gampaha district, Agalawatta and Mathugama in the Kalutara district, Bulathkohupitiya in the Kegalle district and Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya district.
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Minor flood situation likely to occur within the next few hours in the low-lying floodplain areas of the Kalu River
Based on the heavy rainfall currently being received in the Kalu River Basin and the analysis of water level data recorded at hydrological gauging stations maintained by the Irrigation Department within the Kalu River Basin, it is hereby warned that a Minor Flood Situation is likely to occur within the next
few hours in the low-lying floodplain areas of the Kalu River.
The affected areas include the Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Ratnapura, Kuruwita, Ayagama, Elapatha, Kiriella in Ratnapura District.
The public residing in these areas, as well as motorists and passengers travelling through the affected regions, are strongly requested to act with utmost vigilance and to take all necessary
precautions. Disaster Management Authorities are requested to take necessary actions in this regard.
A considerable rainfall has occurred in the catchment areas of the Aththanagalu Oya Basin as atb5.00 AM today (22).
By analyzing the current rainfall situation and river water levels of Hydrological Stations on the Aththanagalu Oya, there is a possibility of a flood situation occuring in some low lying
areas of the Aththanagalu Oya and Uruwal Oya valleys situated in Diwulapitiya, Mirigama, Attanagalla, Mahara, Gampaha, Minuwangoda, Ja-ela, Katana and Wattala Div8sional Secretaries Divisions within next 48 hours.
Owing to this situation, there is a possibility of some of the roads running through these lowlying areas being inundated at some places.
The public residing in these areas, as well as motorists traveling through these regions, are requested to exercise extreme caution regarding this situation.
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura
Minor flood situation likely to occur within the next few hours in the low-lying floodplain areas of the Kalu River
Flood warning issued to low lying areas of the Aththanagalu Oya and Uruwal Oya valleys
Flood warning issued to low lying areas of the Kelani River valley
Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Gampaha, Kalutara and Ratnapura
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