News
Jaffna Cultural Centre opened
The iconic Jaffna Cultural Centre (JCC), which was built with grant assistance of the Government of India (GOI), was dedicated to the people on Saturday (11) at a colourful event, in the gracious presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Information and Broadcasting, GOI Dr. L. Murugan, High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay, Douglas Devananda, Minister for Fisheries, Vidura Wickramanayake, Minister for Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Kadar Masthan, Minister of State for Rural Economy, several Parliamentarians and dignitaries from various walks of life, said a press release from the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
It said: Describing JCC as a gift from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Wickremesinghe thanked him and the GOI for the Centre. He thanked India for the support extended to Sri Lanka during the economic challenges. Highlighting cultural similarities between the two countries, he noted that India and Sri Lanka were the two sides of the same coin.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State Dr. L Murugan underlined that India’s partnership with Sri Lanka was guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. He also announced a special financial assistance scheme to 100 students from economically weaker families in the University of Jaffna. He also highlighted that the GOI have implemented numerous people-centric projects, cutting across sectors in Northern Province.
President Wickremesinghe and Minister Vidura Wickramanayake handed over a special token of gratitude to Minister Dr. L Murugan for the JCC. The wide array of cultural performances showcased the richness and diversity of Sri Lanka’s culture.
The state-of-the-art facility consists of multiple facilities such as a museum of two floors; an advanced theatre-style auditorium for more than 600 people; a 11-storeyed learning tower; a public square which could also act as an amphitheater; exhibition galleries (air conditioned), Open exhibition and a 100-seat Conference facility, among others. The foundation stone for the JCC was laid by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in May 2015, during the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Jaffna. Following the construction of the JCC, the iconic facility was virtually inaugurated during the visit of External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, to Colombo, in March 2022.
The JCC is an outstanding example of the GOI’s ongoing commitment to the people of Sri Lanka, including in the Northern Province. The GOI’s development partnership with Sri Lanka which touch upon all aspects of daily lives, such as infrastructure development, education, health, housing, livelihood development, etc., currently stands at USD 5 billion.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Ms. P. M. Jayadeera (Engineer) in the Special Grade of Sri Lanka Engineering Service serving at present as the Additional Secretary (Water Resources Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to the post of Director General which will be vacant from 06.10.2026.
Approval has been granted at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 08.06.2026 to prepare a draft bill for restructuring Sri Lanka Cricket.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated Sri Lanka draft bill providing legal provisions for the administration of Sri
Lanka Cricket, control, regulation, promotion, establishment of Sri Lanka Cricket for the development and administration, through the concepts of better governance, integrity, transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and providing equal opportunities for the betterment of the cricket sport, establishment of Sri Lanka Cricket for securing the wellbeing of all participants and securing cricket from corruption and other mal practices.
Clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the said draft bill. Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been received for the resolution furnished by the Minister of
Youth Affairs and Sports to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation performs vitally important functions such as minimizing the risk of inundation in urban and lowland areas, maintaining drainage systems efficiently, carrying out urgent operations during inundation events, and maintaining canals.
The need to strengthen the capacity of the corporation’s internal
operations has been identified by the corporation to perform the aforementioned functions efficiently and expeditiously.
The corporation has planned to purchase small -scale machinery that can be used to clean small canals, which significantly contribute to urban inundation.
The General Treasury has agreed to grant 625 million rupees as an equity contribution for purchasing the relevant machinery.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution submitted by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to purchase the relevant machinery by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation, following formal procurement procedures at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,233
million, utilizing the aforementioned amount granted by the General Treasury and the funds of the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation.
Ms. P. M. Jayadeera (Engineer) appointed Director General of Irrigation
Sri Lanka Cricket Draft Bill to be gazetted
Cabinet approves purchase of machinery for the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation
Cabinet approval for Project to Build Secure, Skilled, and Empowered Community for families resettled at the at Kalinga Mawatha, housing scheme
Appointment of Cabinet Sub-Committee for the Organization of 79th Independence Day Commemoration
Establishment of New Management Framework for the Dr. Nevil Fernando Hospital
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoUS embassy won’t comment on IGP’s probe into joint drug raid
-
News4 days agoShanakiyan urges urgent action over reported death sentence for Lankan in Saudi Arabia
-
News5 days agoBid for Basil’s extradition nears final stage: Police
-
News3 days agoNamal Rajapaksa Buddhist gambit fails, bail denied
-
Business6 days agoAll-new Bolero MaXX unveiled in Sri Lanka
-
Features3 days agoWhy the spelling Sri Lankan names in English vary
-
Opinion6 days agoA journalist who wrote across the divide
-
Features3 days agoThree bands, a new identity: Sri Lankan wolf snake recognised as distinct species