News
India doubles grant support for school upgrades in Lanka’s plantation regions
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara, Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, signed diplomatic letters on Friday, October 18, to formalize the doubling of grant support from the Government of India (GOI) for the upgradation of nine schools in Sri Lanka’s plantation regions. The Indian High Commission announced that, following this agreement, the total commitment from the GOI now stands at SLR 600 million.
The project will focus on upgrading the infrastructure of nine schools identified by the Sri Lankan government, including six in the Central Province and one each in the Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern Province.
This initiative adds to India’s extensive track record of development partnerships in Sri Lanka, particularly in the education sector. Alongside infrastructure development and equipment supply, India’s cooperation efforts also prioritize training and capacity-building. Notable past projects include renovations at over 100 schools in the Northern Province, the establishment of 40 e-libraries in the Southern and Eastern Provinces, and the supply of 110 buses to educational institutions across the island.
Additional contributions have included the setup of English language laboratories nationwide, the renovation of auditoriums—including the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium at Ruhuna University—and the construction of a multi-ethnic tri-lingual school in Polonnaruwa, North Central Province. Support for vocational training institutions, such as the Thondaman Vocational Training Centre in Hatton and the Vantharamullai and Onthachimadam Centres in the Eastern Province, has also been significant. Furthermore, the establishment of smart classrooms and computer labs in 200 schools in Galle has marked India’s ongoing commitment to educational advancement.
Recently, a three-month teacher-training programme in STEM subjects was conducted for plantation schools under a multi-sectoral grant assistance of INR 750 million, announced last year to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Indian-origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.
The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.
Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.
The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.
According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.
Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.
The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.
In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.
The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.
The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.
Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.
By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️
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