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Supreme Court suspends controversial visa deal

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The Supreme Court today issued an Interim Order suspending the Cabinet decision granting the approval in relation to online and expat visa operations in Sri Lanka.

This order will be effective till the final determination of the petitions.

The Court further ordered the authorities to maintain the status quo ante as it existed before the implementation of the Cabinet decision.

The Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Kumuduni Wickremasinghe and Achala Wengappuli made this order pursuant to several Fundamental Rights petitions filed challenging the procedural violations and abuse of public trust by officials in the procurement of private entities to handle the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for issuing visas to tourists visiting Sri Lanka, was taken up for support.

The petitioners cited Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunathilaka, the Cabinet of Ministers and several others as respondents.

The members of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) of the Parliament – M.A. Sumanthiran PC, Rauff Hakeem and Patali Champika Ranawaka made their oral submissions while appearing in person. Upul Jayasuriya PC with Sithara Sampath Wijewardane appeared for Parliamentarian Ashoka Abeysinghe. Sanjeeva Jayawardena PC with Rukshan Senadheera appeared for Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda and Chandra Jayaratne. Senior Counsel Suren Gnanaraj appeared for the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators and several other petitioners. Senior Counsel Senani Dayaratne appeared for Transparency International Sri Lanka.

Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe with Vishwa De Livera Tennakoon appeared for Attorney-at-law S.M. Dissanayaka.

Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena appeared for the Attorney General.

(dailymirror.lk)

(This story, originally published by dailymirror.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Gota’s national schools project, scrapped

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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.

(Source: Aruna)

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Gazette issued on 2026 Public & Bank Holidays

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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 gazette issued is as follows : 

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Postal strike ends

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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.

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