Close to 2,500 Indian pilgrims comprising mainly fishermen and clergy as well as around 3,000 Sri Lankan pilgrims participated in the annual St. Anthony’s Festival in Kachchatheevu on March 03 – 04.
Minister of Fisheries – Douglas Devananda, greeted the pilgrims on their arrival at the Island on March 03. Special Prayers and a late evening mass were held on the same day to mark the Festival. A special Mass dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of Fishermen was jointly conducted by priests from India and Sri Lanka on March 04, followed by the traditional feast.
Stalls displaying and selling artisanal works of both Indian and Sri Lankan pilgrims were set up, adding further color to the festivities.
The Government of India is providing financial assistance for the organization of the festivities this year. Consul General of India in Jaffna – Raakesh Natraj and other officials of the Consulate were special invitees at the Festival.
The annual Festival, which witnesses enthusiastic participation pilgrims every year, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years. The festival underscores strong people to people ties between India and Sri Lanka while also paving way for close interaction between fishing communities of the two neighbouring nations.
The government has decided to abolish the project launched under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to upgrade 671 provincial schools as national schools.
Under the project, each school was allocated Rs.02 million – totaling over Rs.1340 million – for emergency renovations and new national school name boards, with some costing over Rs.500,000.
Schools have now been instructed to remove these boards, along with the “National School” title, official seals, and letterheads, and revert to their previous identities.
The initiative aimed to increase the number of national schools to 329,000, but only 05 schools in the Western Province were converted.
Professor Kapila Perera, Secretary of the Ministry of Education at that time, now serves as Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Highways.
The Government of Sri Lanka has officially declared the list of Public and Bank Holidays for the year 2026, through an Extraordinary Gazette issued on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
The Union of Postal and Telecommunications Officers says postal services will operate as usual today (May 31).
Secretary Manjula Jayasundara stated that striking union members returned to work from yesterday (May 30) afternoon, and distribution of over 2,000 delayed mail bags has begun.
This strike, launched over 10 demands including delays in recruitment, has reportedly drawn the attention of the relevant authorities.