News
Ganesan wants only financial support from Delhi for upcountry Tamils
Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), MP Mano Ganesan on Friday said that his party did not want political support from India’s Modi government for the Hill Country Tamils.What the TPA wanted was social progress assistance from Modi, Ganesan said.
Ganesan said in a tweet that his party had submitted a request to High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay earlier this year, for a Teacher training College for Science, Technology, English and Maths subjects, a Nurses Training College for Hill Country women and a University College for Estate sector Tamils.
Ganesan expressed the hope that, during President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi, Indian PM Narendra Modi will favorably consider these requests.
Asked to elaborate, Ganesan said: “We have decided to keep our demands to India to social progress assistances only. India has its own shared obligations and moral responsibilities towards the Indian origin Malaiyaga Tamils in Sri Lanka. The 1964 Sirimavo-Shastri repatriation Pact weakened our community. It can be redone now only by social progress assistance on affirmative principles. Our people are the most underprivileged, marginalized and vulnerable segment in the country. We seek full citizenry privileges within Sri Lanka. We wish India will address this issue from the very spirit of the 1964 pact.”
Ganesan said President Wickremesinghe has assured that he will nominate a presidential committee to talk to political party representatives of the Indian origin Hill Country Tamil community.
“We have such discussions with Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa too. Hence, our discussions on our national political aspirations will be conducted within Sri Lanka,” he said.
News
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 to purchase four (04) automated passenger clearance gates for Bandaranayake International Airport.
In addition, it is expected to extend the automated passenger clearance gates facility so far given only to the Sri Lankans
parallel to the e – passport issuance system to be introduced in the year 2027 also to the foreigners who travel to and from this country.
Furthermore, considering also the number of air passengers rapidly increasing with the fast – forwarding business and tourism field, the appropriateness to increase the total automated passenger clearance gates up to twelve (12) in number has been recognized.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers, approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to initiate the procurement and installation of 12
automated passenger clearance gates altogether with the already approved four (04) and another eight (08) automated passenger clearance gates adhering to the formal procurement procedure
Based on the observations submitted by the Task Force on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing for Terrorism, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 18.12.2024 to amend the Trust Ordinance No. 9 of 1917 including amendments proposed by the Financial
Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been granted for the Trust (Amendment) Draft Bill formulated by the Legal Draftsman.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Justice and National Integration
to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby, submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Action was taken to provide a fuel relief for the fuel consumers during the months of April, May and June of 2026 to redress by minimizing the impact caused to the day today life of the citizens of this country as well as the entire economy due to the price hike of petroleum fuel in the global market resulting from the war situation in the Middle East.
Government mediation is essential for minimizing the impact on the day to today life of citizens in this country due to that war situation not being ended further. Therefore, it has been planned to redress on the sale price for Auto Diesel and Industrial Diesel for a period of 03 months by the Government to provide relief to the public as well as to maintain the prices at a bearable level to the consumers without escalating the fuel prices in this country compared to the escalation of fuel prices
in the international market.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to
allocate provisions subject to the monthly limitations respectively as rupees 15 billion for the month of October, rupees 13.5 billion for the month of November and rupees 12.15 billion for the month of December to provide the said relief
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
Draft Bill for amending the Trust Ordinance
Implementing further relief programme to Public sffected by the Middle East conflict situation
Establishment of a Spectrum Management and Monitoring System and a Quality of Service and Quality of Experience System for the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
Appointment of a Committee for the Restitution of Sri Lankan Cultural Heritage Held Abroad
Ten-Year National Action Plan on the Social Protection Sector (2026–2035)
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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