A special operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy led to the detention of an Indian fishing boat and 18 Indian fishermen, poaching in Sri Lankan waters. This special operation was conducted off Veththalakerni, Jaffna on Monday [02nd December 2024]. When the apprehension was made, the fishing boat had crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line by approximately 30 nautical miles, entering Sri Lankan waters.

The Indian vessel together with  the eighteen Indian fishermen  were brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and handed over to the Regional Director Sri Lanka Coast Guard Northern Region for onward legal proceedings.

With this recent apprehension, the Navy and Coast Guard have detained a total of 66 Indian fishing boats and 515 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters in 2024.

There are more than 150,000 graduates in the central government and provincial public service, including development officers recruited to the public service on seven (07)  occasions from year 1994 to year 2020 under different schemes.

The officers, in the development service category and associated service category, were recruited to the public service without proper evaluation of skills and professional qualifications.

Expected performances has not been achieved due to not providing the induction training and in-service training and failure to assign the relevant functions and responsibilities. Further, more than 15,800
development officers are engaged in teaching in the national schools and provincial schools and  problematic situations have arisen in respect of recruiting them to the teaching service.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Prime Minister to appoint a cabinet committee comprising the following ministers/deputy ministers under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and to appoint a committee consisting of the following officers under the chairmanship of the
secretary to the Prime Minister to support the said committee for the identification of various issues that have arisen at present pertaining to the administrative activities of the development officers and their performance and analysis of said issues and submission of sustainable solutions to these issues.

Cabinet Committee
• Prime Minister – Chairman
• Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Council, Local Government
• Deputy Minister of Economic Development
• Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education
• Deputy Minister of Professional Development

Officials Committee
• Secretary  to the Prime Minister – Chairman
• Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Council, Local Government
• Secretary, Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education
• Secretary, Finance Commission of Sri Lanka
• Director General, Department of National Budget
• Director General of Establishment
• Director General, Department of Management services
• Director General of Combined Services

Taking into consideration the huge cost for maintenance and fuel of certain luxury vehicles used in government institutions, it has been decided that the disposal of such luxury vehicles is more economical.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President, to vest the power to the Secretary to the General Treasury to issue relevant circulars and instructions with the view of reporting to the Comptroller General of the General Treasury to dispose of  the said luxury vehicles before 01.03.2025 following the prescribed procurement procedure.

Petrol vehicles that have engine capacity of more than 1800cc and diesel vehicles with engine capacity above 2300cc (excluding single cabs/vans/buses) under the custom code 87.03  will be disposed of after conducting a formal study of the existing vehicles in all government institutions.