Aligned with the 2025 National Poson Festival, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat spearheaded several environmentally conscious initiatives during Poson Week, including maintaining cleanliness in areas surrounding the Atamasthana (Eight Sacred Places). Key waste management measures included the establishment of permanent, covered enclosures for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste receptacles near the Atamasthana and Mihintale. Dedicated plastic bottle collection bins were strategically placed alongside general waste bins and in collaboration with Ceypetco, discarded barrels were repurposed as waste containers.

Significant support came from sponsors including the Irrigation Department, ARPICO, Rambewa Mechanical Engineering Works, the Cargills and Keells Group (for plastic containers), Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka (for plastic collection bins), and Ceypetco and the Sri Lanka Army (for waste bins).

Additional safety and awareness initiatives included placing waste bins near bathing areas and bridges adjacent to major reservoirs (Tissa Wewa, Basawakkulama Wewa, Nuwara Wewa, Mahakanadarawa Wewa, Nachchaduwa Wewa, Bulankulama Wewa and Kunchikulama Wewa) to reduce littering. Warning signs were installed at hazardous locations and lifesaving personnel and naval craft were deployed during the Poson Week.

Waste bins for bridge areas were supplied by Phoenix Industries and ARPICO, while informational signage around the Sacred City was sponsored by AIA, Ceylinco and Sri Lanka Insurance. Overall coordination was managed by the Anuradhapura Municipal Commissioner.

A Clean Sri Lanka coordination centre established within the Poson Zone facilitated awareness programmes for schoolchildren and the general public on themes such as environmental stewardship and intergenerational responsibility. These efforts involved Provincial and District Secretaries and institutions including the Post-Harvest Technology Institute. Additional programmes were held targeting public officials and citizens focused on national food security, financial literacy and ethical public service.

Environmental sustainability projects carried out during the week included canal cleaning in collaboration with the Irrigation Department, Provincial Irrigation Department and the Department of Agrarian Development and a tree-planting initiative titled “Environmental Security” in partnership with the Forest Conservation Department and school communities.

Personality development and leadership workshops were also conducted. A full-day session was held on 7 June 2025 at St. Thomas’ College, Anuradhapura (7:30 AM to 7:30 PM), sponsored by Perera & Sons, the Anuradhapura Lions Club and the Dream Force Sri Lanka Society. Similar workshops were conducted at Maithripala Senanayake Vidyalaya and Swarnamali Balika Vidyalaya.

On 11 June 2025, a morning awareness session for rural farmers was held, covering Post-Harvest Technology (presented by  C.R. Gunawardana, National Post-Harvest Management Institute) and Financial Management (presented by Duminda Disanayake, Central Bank of Sri Lanka), featuring a special address by MP Susantha Kumara Navaratne.

On the morning of 12 June 2025, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat and the Anuradhapura Municipal Council jointly conducted a waste removal drive at the Basawakkulama Wewa tank bund, extracting plastic, polythene and other refuse. Participants included venerable monks from the Sri Lanka Bhikkhu University Bhikkhu Student Association, Anuradhapura Mayor  N. Karunaratne, the Association President and lay devotees. That afternoon, the Secretariat’s Music Therapy programme began at the Surapura Open Air Theatre, Anuradhapura, attended by over a thousand personnel from the armed forces, police, Civil Security Department and state institutions.

A special lecture was also delivered by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Madhura Gunawardana.

[PMD]

A special workshop on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the public service into a more productive and efficient entity was held on Sunday (15) at Temple Trees.

Titled “AI for Transforming Public Service,” the workshop was attended by officials of the Presidential Secretariat. It aimed to serve as an initial orientation for a major government initiative, the digitalization of the public service, by raising awareness and preparing officials, while also fostering a positive perception of artificial intelligence within the public sector.

Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, Senior Advisor to the President on the Digital Economy, delivered the keynote address. Sanjaya Karunaseena, Executive Director of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, also presented a brief address. Subsequently, Harsha Purasinghe and Samisa Abeysinghe, board members of ICTA, conducted awareness sessions incorporating practical demonstrations.

The event was also attended by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage and several other senior officials from the Presidential Secretariat.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has withdrawn the nomination of Court of Appeal Judge M. T. Mohamed Lafar to the Supreme Court, amidst an intense controversy in legal circles over the nomination at issue even before the occurrence of a vacancy in the apex court. The matter would be raised in Parliament, SJB lawmaker Dayasiri Jayaskera said.

President Dissanayake owed the country an explanation as to why that nomination was made in such a hurry, Jayasekera said. “President Dissanayake is believed to have sent Lafar’s nomination to the Constitutional Council on 9 June, before he left for Germany on an official tour,” he said.

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne heads the 10-member CC.

Former Minister Jayasekera said that he was aware of the decision to withdraw Lafar’s nomination.

Speaker’s Office sources told The Island that they couldn’t comment on the issue without consulting the Speaker. Sources in the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) said that a couple of judicial appointments were due soon and the BASL’s official comment could be made available once it studied the developments.

Other sources said that the President intended to fill the vacancy to be created by justice Gamini Amarasekera’s retirement, on 20 June, with Lafar, who is the current President of the Court of Appeal. However, Lafar is to retire on 18 June, after having reached the retirement age on 18 June, sources said.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake couldn’t be contacted for comment.In terms of the Constitution, the President has to consult the Chief Justice regarding nominations before they are forwarded to the CC.

MP Jayasekera said that he would seek the government parliamentary group response to the Supreme Court matter. The NPP, having accused all previous governments of wrongdoings, couldn’t be allowed to manipulate judicial appointments, he added. (SF)