The President assured immediate solutions to land, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture-related issues in the Northern Province.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that eight (08) committees would be appointed at the provincial level to resolve land-related issues in the North and South of the country would be resolved accordingly.
President Wickremesinghe made these observations while participating in the District Development Committee meeting held at the Vavuniya District Secretariat this morning (19).
The development committee meeting was called covering Vavuniya, Mannar, and Mullaitivu districts in the Northern Province.
The issues related to the lands, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture in the province and solutions for them were discussed at length during the meeting.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that all measures would be taken to improve the living conditions of the people by providing prompt solutions to the problems arising in various fields in the Northern Province and said that he expected the supportive hands of the parliamentarians of the Northern Province in this endeavor.
Pointing out that there are many unsolved problems in the North, the President further assured that he would resolve those issues by way of discussions with all parties.
Parliamentarian Charles Nirmalanathan drew the attention of the President to the fact that the Tamil people who settled in the Settikulam area in 1994 have still not been provided with land.
The President instructed the Vavuniya District Secretary to intervene to resolve the land issue in Settikulam within 03 months and added that he would inquire about the matter from the Ministry of Justice as well as the Ministry of Lands.
At the meeting, attention was also drawn to the problems arising due to the acquisition of certain farmlands in the Mullaitivu district by the Department of Archaeology.Special attention was focused on the housing problem of the people in the Northern Province and the officials pointed out that the housing projects initiated to address the issue in the three districts have reached different stages of construction and an additional sum of Rs. 3000 million is required for its completion.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that many housing projects have commenced across the island and he expected to provide quick solutions to the housing problem of the people in the North.
Parliamentarian Selvam Adekkalanathan highlighted the plight and the needs of the people living in the vicinity of Vavuniya Lake and Thirikkulam Lake and drew the attention of the President at the meeting.
The renovation of the tanks in the districts, solving the fertilizer problem, and streamlining the distribution activities also was the focal point at the meeting.
The President instructed the officials to take measures to provide the necessary solutions to the health sector-related problems and the shortage of doctors in the Northern Province paying special attention to them when the issues were raised during the meeting.
Parliamentarian Rishad Bathuideen explained various irregularities that the fishermen in the Mannar district have to face in the supply of kerosene oil and the President instructed the officials to initiate an urgent inquiry into the matter.
Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, Urban Development, and Housing State Minister Tenuka Vidanagamage, State Minister for Rural Development Kader Mastan, Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiagarajah, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake and public officials including district secretaries were present on the occasion.
The National Transport Commission (NTC) has approved a 2.5% reduction in bus fares effective from July 01 in line with the annual bus fare revision.
During a discussion between Transport Ministry officials and representatives of private bus associations, the government’s proposal to reduce bus fares by 2% was met by objections raised by bus operators.
(Previous News on 25th June 2025 at 4:51pm)
Bus associations oppose proposal of 2% fare reduction
The government’s proposal to reduce bus fares by a 2% effective from July 01 has led to the strong disapproval of bus associations, reports say.
It was also proposed not to revise the fares of the first two stages.
The announcement was made during a meeting between officials of the Transport Ministry and representatives of private bus associations to discuss the annual bus fare revision, scheduled for July 01.
The Department of Examinations has confirmed that the 2025 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examination will be held from Nov. 10 – Dec. 05, 2025,
Accordingly, applications for the 2025 G.C.E. A/L exam will be accepted online from June 26 to July 21, 2025.
It is further stated that students of government schools and government-approved private schools must submit their applications through their respective school principals, while private candidates are required to submit their applications themselves.
A statement by the Department of Examinations noted that private applicants must use their National Identity Card (NIC) number when applying for the examination.
Applicants are advised to visit the official website of the Department of Examinations of Sri Lanka, www.doenets.lk or www.onlineexams.gov.lk/eic, to carefully read the relevant instructions and submit their applications accordingly. After submitting the application, candidates are urged to keep a printed copy with them in case of an emergency.
The username and password required by school applicants to submit their applications have already been provided to the respective school principals.
Applications will not be accepted after 12.00 midnight on July 21, 2025. It is also emphasized that the closing date will not be extended under any circumstances, the statement added.
For further inquiries, applicants are advised to contact the Department of Examinations via the following telephone numbers or email : Tel: 011-2784208, 011-2784537, 011-2785922 / Hotline: 1911 / Email: [email protected]
A group of activists and families of missing persons handed over letters and memorandums to the visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in Trincomalee today (June 25).
UN Human Rights Spokesperson – Jeremy Laurence, who is accompanying the High Commissioner, said while in Trincomalee that Mr. Volker Turk expressed sorrow and solidarity with the families of the disappeared.
Meanwhile, a peaceful demonstration was also held in Trincomalee during this visit, where a group of activists and victims of disappearances was seen holding placards and banners.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will visit Kandy before concluding his official visit to Sri Lanka tomorrow (June 26) after a special press briefing in Colombo.