News
Revised ministerial, deputy portfolios gazetted
The official Gazette notification announcing the revised ministerial and deputy ministerial portfolios, following the NPP government’s first Cabinet reshuffle, has been issued.
On 10 October, the government announced the new portfolios of three Cabinet Ministers and 10 Deputy Ministers subsequent to the reshuffle. The newly appointed Ministers and Deputy Ministers were sworn in before the President at the Presidential Secretariat on the same day.
The Gazette confirms that the reshuffle was carried out in accordance with Articles 44(2) and 46(1) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The appointments were made by Order of the President, with Dr. N. S. Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, issuing the official Gazette notification.
According to the revised allocations, the portfolio of Ports and Civil Aviation was removed from Bimal Rathnayaka, who previously served as the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation. In its place, the Ministry of Urban Development was added to his responsibilities, and he was accordingly sworn in as the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development.
The Ports and Civil Aviation portfolio, which was removed from Minister Rathnayaka, has been assigned to Anura Karunathilaka, who previously held the position of Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing. He was sworn in as the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation.
The Construction and Housing portfolio, which was relinquished by Anura Karunathilaka, has been assigned to Dr. H. M. Susil Ranasinghe, who previously served as Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation. Dr. Ranasinghe was sworn in before the President as the Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna, Dinindu Saman Kumara, Nishantha Jayaweera, and M. Arkam, who had not previously held ministerial positions, were sworn in as Deputy Ministers.
Accordingly, the Gazette notification detailing their respective appointments has been issued.
The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.
Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.
The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses
will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”
In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125
News
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.
The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.
A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.
Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.
The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.
The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.
The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.
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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.
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