News
India extends billion dollar credit line to Sri Lanka
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, March 17: India and Sri Lanka signed on Thursday the US$1-billion short-term concessional loan facility in New Delhi. It is extended by the Indian Government to the Sri Lankan Government through the State Bank of India (SBI).
The loan facility was extended to the Government of Sri Lanka for procurement of food, medicines and other essential items. It was a key component of the four-pillar economic cooperation arrangement agreed between India and Sri Lanka during Minister Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi in December last year.
The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Finance in New Delhi this afternoon in the presence of Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, India’s External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The SBI’s Managing Director Ashwini Kumar Tewari, General Manager Vinod Kumar were also present on this occasion.
Secretary to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Finance S R Attygalle signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, while SBI’s Deputy General Manager Pushkar Jha signed on behalf of the bank.
Prior to the signing ceremony, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was received jointly by the Finance and External Affairs Ministers of India for bilateral talks at the Finance
Ministry in the North Block, said a media release by the Sri Lankan High Commission here.
During the bilateral talks, the two sides agreed to set up a framework for short, medium and long-term economic cooperation between the two countries aimed at addressing Sri Lanka’s present economic challenges.
With this objective, the three Ministers agreed to stay in regular contact, and a coordinating mechanism consisting of senior officials from the two countries was set up to maintain a regular dialogue.
Rajapaksa was accompanied to this meeting by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Attygalle and Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India Niluka Kadurugamuwa.
Earlier in the day, Minister Rajapaksa met with India’s Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh and discussed the ways and means to further deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation in the power and renewable energy sector. Chief Economic Adviser of the Government of India, Prof A. Nageswaran also called on Rajapaksa.
News
Police officers donate LKR 9,687,462 from day’s salary to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
A sum of LKR. 9,687,462, raised from day’s salary officers of the Police Department, has been donated to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to support the recovery of communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah and to assist in rebuilding the country following the disaster.
To date, officers of the Police Department have contributed over LKR. 74 million to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund through three such contributions of one day’s salary.
The donation was presented on Wednesday (22) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat by the Personal Assistant to the Inspector General of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police C. C. Bamunuarachchi, to the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Chief Inspector Udaya Kumara, Officer-in-Charge of the Police Secretariat, was also present on the occasion.
[Presidents Media Division]
Latest News
Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Eastern provinces and in Monaragala district during the day time
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 26 April 2026, valid for 27 April 2026.
The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Eastern provinces and in Monaragala district during the day time.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry
of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
News
Opposition asks for PSC to probe Treasury theft
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the illegal diversion of Treasury funds, amounting to US$2.5 million to a third-party account.
Premadasa has said both the chairmanship and a majority of the Committee’s membership should be held by the Opposition to ensure impartiality.
The government has not only failed to account for the loss of US$2.5 million but also deliberately withheld information from Parliament, the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) and the public, Premadasa has told the media, accusing the ruling party of seeking to deflect responsibility by initiating an internal departmental inquiry, which he describes as a biased process designed to justify predetermined conclusions.
The Opposition Leader has said only a transparent and independent probe could establish the facts, adding that such an investigation could be effectively carried out through a Parliamentary Select Committee led by the Opposition.
He has also warned that the alleged failure to inform Parliament about the missing funds amounted to a serious breach of accountability.
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