A felicitation ceremony was held on June 26 at the Parliament premises to honor Mr. K. Rahulan, former Chief Parliamentary Interpreter of Parliament, and five recently retired Parliamentary Interpreters, in recognition of their exceptional service to the field of parliamentary interpretation.

This ceremony, held under the patronage of the Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, was organized by the Parliamentary Interpretation Division under the Department of Legislative Services.

On this occasion, the highest honorary award that is bestowed only once in a lifetime was presented to Mr. M.K. Rahulan, former Director of Legislative Services and former Chief Parliamentary Interpreter of Parliament, by the Secretary General, in recognition of his distinguished service over a period of more than three decades in parliamentary service.Moreover, gifts of appreciation were presented to the following recently retired Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters and Senior Parliamentary Interpreters: Mr. K.M. Christopher, Mr. I.D.L. Rathnaseeli, Mr. S.R.M. Nizam, Mr. H.V.S. Heendeniya, and Mr. Sunil Wijesingha.

Addressing the occasion, the Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, stated that former Chief Parliamentary Interpreter Mr. K. Rahulan has left an indelible mark in the history of parliamentary interpretation in Sri Lanka. She also extended special appreciation to the other honorees for their decades of dedicated service to the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

The retired Parliamentary Interpreters who addressed at the event reflected on the meaningful as well as challenging experiences they encountered during their professional lives in Parliament.Assistant Secretary General of Parliament Mr. Hansa Abeyrathne, Director (Legislative Services), Acting Director of Communications Mr. M. Jayalath Perera, Chief Parliamentary Interpreter Mr. C.J. Karunaratne, along with several department heads and staff members, also participated in this event.

President Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that the primary objective of the current Government is not to pursue incremental reforms within the existing framework, but rather to transform and elevate the nation to a significantly higher level of development.

The President emphasized that the current political leadership has already taken steps to break away from the past political culture and that this transformation must now be developed into a stable and lasting system. Furthermore the President stressed the need for all sectors of the country to work collectively and in alignment to elevate the nation to a new level.

President Disanayake also stated that the government is placing particular emphasis on strengthening the public transport system as part of its broader agenda to elevate the country to a new level. He further affirmed that the government will not allow authorities or individuals to act arbitrarily. It has come to an end under the current administration. 

The President further emphasized that society as a whole must develop a sense of fear and accountability when it comes to the misuse of public property and that every individual must be equally subject to the rule of law.

President Anura Kumara Disanayake made these remarks while attending the ceremonial launch of the “Dream Destination” project to modernise 100 railway stations, held yesterday (27) evening at the Presidential Secretariat.

Speaking at the event, President Disanayake further highlighted that statistics confirm approximately eight fatalities occur daily due to road accidents. Accordingly, he highlighted the need for a robust road regulatory framework and underscored that strengthening public transport is essential to reduce traffic congestion, minimise environmental damage by cutting down harmful emissions and ease the heavy financial burden the government bears due to vehicle imports.

Accordingly, the President stated that efforts to develop the country’s public transport system into a modern, accessible and efficient service have already begun. In addition to government investments, opportunities have been opened for private sector participation. He also invited the private sector to collaborate with the government in rebranding Sri Lanka’s railway stations with a fresh and distinctive identity that aligns with contemporary global standards.

The Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, in collaboration with the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ Programme and with the support of the private sector, has launched a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project to renovate 100 railway stations across the country.

The aim of this project is to create a clean, attractive railway station network that ensures the safety and comfort of all passengers, including those with special needs.

The Road Safety Action Plan 2025–2026 was formally presented to President Anura Kumara Disanayake by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Mr. Bimal Ratnayake, during the event.

Speaking at the event, Minister Bimal Rathnayake stated that traffic congestion alone results in an estimated annual loss of 2% to 3% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Since around 2012, there has been a significant decline in the public’s reliance on public transport. As a result, even if massive road infrastructure is built in the future, it would not fully resolve the country’s transport challenges. Therefore, he stressed that strengthening public transport has now become an urgent necessity.

To address this, the Minister noted that his Ministry plans to propose the construction of new railway lines from Kottawa to Avissawella and from Avissawella to Ratnapura. It also intends to improve infrastructure to support cargo transportation via rail. Furthermore, while ownership of railroad corridors remains under the Department of Railways, the Ministry hopes to revive and develop the currently unused Nuwara Eliya–Nanu Oya line in collaboration with the private sector for tourism purposes. He added that several other railway development proposals are expected to be included in the upcoming budget.

Murad Ismail, Founder and Chief Architect of MICD Associates, presented the master plan for the railway station modernization initiative at the event. Representing the National Intelligence Organization (NIO – Engineering), Chartered Engineer M.M.S. Moremada shared insights based on pilot projects carried out at the Maradana, Mirigama and Moratuwa railway stations. He also stated that the organization is prepared to voluntarily offer technical guidance as needed to support future developments. 

In parallel, Chief Engineer (Signal and Telecommunication) of the Sri Lanka Railways Department, V.C.E. Jayasekara, highlighted that there are currently 429 unprotected railway level crossings across the country. He noted that enhancing safety at 134 of the most critical locations in the initial phase could significantly reduce the risk of accidents.

During the event, an interactive discussion was held with the participants regarding the ‘Dream Destination’ initiative. They were also introduced to the online platform established for engagement and participation in the project.

Those present included Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Software Engineer Sumudu Ratnayake as well as Heads of several prominent private sector companies and organizations.

(President’s Media Division)

The Defence Secretary has directed the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) to deploy a Bell 412 helicopter for reconnaissance and rescue operations to locate fishermen missing after 02 separate fishing boat accidents at sea.

02 separate fishing boats, one that set off from Dondra Fisheries Harbour and the other from the Moragalla area, were involved in accidents at sea.

The vessel that departed Dondra Fisheries Harbour last evening (June 27) with 05 fishermen on board is believed to have collided with a commercial vessel. 

One fisherman has been rescued, while 04 remain missing.

The Navy has also dispatched a search and rescue vessel to the area.

In the other incident, 02 fishermen from Aluthgama who went to sea from the Moragalla area of Beruwala had gone missing after their small boat capsized at sea.