Veteran leftist politician and former Minister Professor Tissa Vitarana (92) passed away on Friday morning at his home in Kotte following a prolonged illness, bis family confirmed.Vitarana enjoyed a long and distinguished public career spanning several decades, serving as the Director of the MRI, a Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Provincial Governor. The nephew (sister’s son) of Dr. NM Perera, he was the leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), one of the country’s oldest political parties.

He worked hard to keep Dr. Perera’s memory alive with annual orations as well as other left oriented activities at the NM Perera Center located in Dr. Perera’s former home in Borella.Entering active politics with the LSSP in 1974, Prof. Vitarana later emerged as a key figure within leftist political circles. Following the 2004 General Election, he was appointed to Parliament as a United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) National List MP and was subsequently sworn in as Minister of Science and Technology.

He was re-appointed to Parliament via the UPFA National List after the 2010 General Election. Although he initially did not retain a Cabinet portfolio, he was appointed Minister of Technology and Research in May 2010. In November the same year, he was elevated to the position of Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs.

Prof. Vitarana lost his Cabinet portfolio following the 2015 Presidential Election. At the subsequent Parliamentary Election in 2015, he was included in the UPFA’s National List nominations but was not appointed to Parliament.

In recognition of his significant contributions to the fields of science and technology, he was conferred the prestigious Vidya Jyothi title in 2017.

On December 4, 2019, he was appointed Governor of the North Central Province and was sworn in before then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He served in that capacity until 2020.

Prof. Vitarana’s passing marks the end of an era in leftist politics in Sri Lanka. Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.

His remains lay at the N. M. Perera Centre, 106 N. M. Perera Mawatha (Cotta Road) from 8 am yesterday (14). The funeral will take place at the New Crematorium, General Cemetery, Borella at 4.30 pm on Monday, February 16.

Prof. Vitarana leaves his children Menika, Ranmal, and Ranil, and brother Nihal. He was predeceased by his wife, Kamini.

Sri Lanka and Thailand have concluded negotiations on a landmark labour cooperation framework that will pave the way for the recruitment of 10,000 Sri Lankan workers under a pilot project approved by the Thai Cabinet.

The development follows a series of virtual negotiations between officials of both countries to finalise two key bilateral instruments — a Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Cooperation and an Agreement on the Employment of Sri Lankan Workers in Thailand.

The discussions were facilitated by Sri Lanka’s Embassy and Permanent Mission in Bangkok, with the participation of Ambassador and Permanent Representative Wijayanthi Edirisinghe and officials from the Ministry of Labour and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), alongside their Thai counterparts.

According to officials, the Thai Cabinet has already granted approval to recruit 10,000 Sri Lankan workers to address labour shortages in several sectors of the Thai economy. The pilot initiative is expected to generate structured and gainful employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in fields including construction, agriculture and livestock, food and beverage, industry, educational institutions, aquatic animal processing and mining.

Following comprehensive discussions, both sides finalised the draft texts of the two agreements.

The documents will now be submitted to the respective Governments for formal approval prior to signing. The signing ceremony is expected to take place at ministerial level in the first quarter of 2026.

Officials described the conclusion of negotiations as a significant milestone in bilateral relations, noting that the framework is designed to ensure safe, orderly and regular labour mobility while safeguarding the rights and welfare of Sri Lankan workers under a transparent and regulated mechanism.

The initiative comes amid ongoing efforts by Sri Lanka to expand overseas employment opportunities and enhance foreign remittance inflows, while ensuring stronger protection for migrant workers through government-to-government arrangements.

Officials from the Digital Economy Ministry state that there are plans to provide every person in the country with High-Speed Broadband connectivity by 2029, parliament sources said on Friday.The announcement was made during a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Science, Technology and Digital Transformation held in Parliament on February 6, chaired by MP Dr. Janaka Senarathne, where the allocation of 2026 budget provisions for the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Ministry of Science and Technology was discussed.

During the session, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Senior Advisor to the President, presented details of the nationwide High-Speed Broadband programme. He confirmed that 100 new telecommunication towers will be installed this year as part of the initiative, with a total of 600 to 1,000 towers planned to meet national requirements, to be rolled out in stages.

Dr. Wijayasuriya noted that while current internet coverage stands at approximately 98%, it falls short of High-Speed Broadband standards. He emphasized that existing capacity must be increased by around 25% to ensure that every citizen, including schoolchildren, has access to high-speed internet.

He also stated that a commercial model will be developed for the telecommunication towers, allowing private sector participation through a bidding process.

The Committee additionally highlighted the importance of digital literacy initiatives in areas outside Colombo, proposing programmes to be coordinated through District Secretariat offices.

The meeting further covered the allocation of 2026 budget provisions for the Ministry of Science and Technology, with several annual and performance reports of affiliated institutions approved.The session was attended by Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe and MPs Chandima Hettiarachchi, Lasith Bhashana Gamage, Chathura Galappaththi, Aboobucker Athambawa, and Ruwan Wijeweera.