<ul><li>Better civilian jobs and foreign employment opportunities attract personnel</li><li>Long service hours and family commitments among reasons for departures</li><li>Military deserters face disciplinary action, possible dismissal from service</li></ul> A trend of military personnel leaving the service has emerged within the Armed Forces, with excessive workloads, long service hours and better employment opportunities outside the military among the reasons for the departures, Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara said.He was responding to a question raised by Government Parliamentarian Major General (Retd.) G D Sooriyabandara yesterday (3).Jayasekara identified several factors contributing to the trend, including opportunities for foreign employment and education, better jobs in the civilian sector and the preference among personnel to pursue careers that better match their professional qualifications and skills. Higher earning opportunities in the private sector were another factor, he said.He also cited heavy workloads and the requirement to serve for extended periods as reasons prompting some personnel to leave. Other factors included increasing family-related financial commitments, postings in difficult locations that required personnel to live away from their families and the desire to prioritise marriage and family life.Difficulties in adapting to military life and dissatisfaction with disciplinary requirements and service regulations were also contributing factors, he said.Jayasekara also explained the legal position concerning military personnel who leave their respective services without authorisation, particularly those who travel overseas after abandoning their duties.He said Army officers who leave the service and travel abroad without authorisation are treated as deserters."Under Sri Lanka's criminal and military laws, desertion or an attempt to desert the Army constitutes a military and criminal offence. They are dealt with under the provisions applicable to personnel who remain absent without leave. Decisions on retaining them in service or removing them are taken in accordance with those provisions,” he said.Regarding the Navy, he said the Navy Act provided for dismissal from service, either with or without disgrace, as a punishment. Personnel dismissed under these provisions would not be eligible to rejoin the Navy, he added.In the case of the Air Force, decisions are made based on the nature of the punishment imposed following a trial and the powers vested in the Air Force Commander under the Air Force Act.

Defence Ministry notes: Military exits on the rise 

<ul><li>Badulla loses one&nbsp;</li></ul>According to the revised electoral system announced by the Election Commission (EC), the number of Parliamentary seats allocated to the Colombo District has increased from 18 to 19, while the allocation for the Badulla District has decreased from nine to eight.In a notice, the EC stated that the number of electors registered in each electoral District, based on the Main Electoral Register for this year (2026), the 2026 (1) Supplementary Electoral Register, and the corresponding number of Parliamentarians to be elected from each District, had been determined in accordance with Article 98(8) of the Constitution.&nbsp;The relevant Extraordinary Gazette Notification, bearing Number 2511/02, was issued on 19 October.

Revised electoral system: Colombo gets one more seat 

<ul><li>Daisy Forrest released due to mental infirmity&nbsp;</li></ul>The second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, yesterday (3) pleaded not guilty before the Colombo High Court to the charges filed against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He made the plea when the charges were read out in open Court.The Court has ordered the release of the grandmother of Rajapaksa, Daisy Forrest Wickramasinghe, from the case filed against them both under the Act.&nbsp;The order was issued after the Judge considered submissions that the defendant is not in a mental condition suitable to stand trial.

Money laundering: Yoshitha pleads not guilty 

The proposal seeking the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), to conduct a comprehensive study into the 1983 ‘Black July’ tragedy and its impact, has been submitted to Parliament.&nbsp;The proposal was presented to Parliament by National People's Power (NPP) Parliamentarian Thanura Dissanayake and was seconded by NPP MP Bhagya Sri Herath.&nbsp;The proposed committee is expected to conduct a comprehensive study into the ‘Black July’ incidents and submit its findings to Parliament, along with proposals and recommendations on promoting national reconciliation and providing relief to those affected.

Govt seeks PSC on Black July 

<ul><li>Over 112,400 sustain injuries&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> A total of 10,144 people have died in road accidents between 2021 and last year (2025), with a further 112,415 sustaining injuries, Deputy Health Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni told Parliament.&nbsp;Responding to a question raised by Opposition Parliamentarian Dr Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, he said that the figures represented annual averages of approximately 2,536 deaths and 22,483 injuries during the five-year period. He also said: “The annual average number of people who become temporarily or permanently disabled due to road accidents is approximately 25,000,” he said.Addressing the economic impact of road accidents, he said that international estimates placed the loss of productivity caused by road crashes at between three per cent and five% of a country's Gross Domestic Product.Speaking further, he said that the Government had identified emergency and accident care as a major issue in the health sector and is taking steps to improve facilities in hospitals across the country. He added that several hospital emergency treatment units had been left only partially completed when the current Government assumed office, and that work is now under way to complete them.&nbsp;“We are taking steps to complete all those facilities. We have also finalised plans to equip the emergency treatment units in every hospital, including rural hospitals, with the necessary equipment and medical personnel,” he said.&nbsp;Dr Wijemuni said that a substantial allocation is expected to be made in next year's (2027) Budget for this purpose. The plans would also cover improvements to the related services, including blood transfusion facilities and operating theatres, he said.&nbsp;“We have identified accidents as a major health issue. We are therefore working with the Transport and Highways Ministry, while the Health Ministry is also conducting its own research into what needs to be done from the health sector's side to prevent accidents,” he said.

2021-2025: Over 10,000 road accident deaths

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the release on bail of Opposition Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, who had been remanded in connection with the controversial Krrish deal.During a previous Court hearing, attorneys representing Rajapaksa submitted a bail application seeking his release, citing the serious health conditions of both his parents as an exceptional ground for granting bail.&nbsp;However, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) had raised objections to the bail application. After considering the submissions made by both the parties, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S Bodaragama delivered the bail order yesterday.Rajapaksa was arrested by the CIABOC on 4 September and subsequently produced before Court, which ordered his remand over allegations that he had accepted a bribe of Rs. 70 million to facilitate the allocation of a plot of land at Transworks Square in Colombo to the Indian company Krrish for a multi-purpose development project.However, Rajapaksa will remain in remand custody in connection with a separate case related to the Airbus bribery scandal.

Namal gets bail in Krrish case 

The Supreme Court yesterday (3) took up a Fundamental Rights petition seeking to ensure that fees charged for polythene bags by supermarkets and private retail outlets are remitted to the State. The Court directed the respondents to report on progress towards a collection mechanism and ordered the petition to be called again on 5 March 2027.The petition was filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), its Chairman Hemantha Withanage and its Executive Director Dilena Pathragoda, who are acting both individually and in the public interest. The respondents are President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and its Director General, the Consumer Affairs Authority, the Environmental Minister and Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General.The matter was taken up before a three-judge bench including the Chief Justice and Justice Achala Wengappuli.Counsel for the petitioners submitted that, following a previous Supreme Court determination in SC FR 220/2021, a directive had been issued to impose a levy or fee on polythene bags. Supermarkets and other private establishments have since been charging consumers for such bags. The petitioners told the Court that the proceeds do not go to the government but are deposited directly into the private accounts of the businesses concerned. They argued that permitting private entities to retain the funds is wrongful and infringes fundamental rights.According to the petition, state authorities recorded a settlement in the earlier proceedings on 28 March 2024, agreeing to end the free distribution of bags and to impose a structured levy under the polluter pays principle. Consumer Affairs Authority Gazette Extraordinary No. 2456/41, effective 1 November 2025, banned free distribution and required retailers to charge Rs. 3 for medium-sized handle bags and Rs. 5 for larger ones, made of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE).The petitioners contend that, while the rule has curtailed bag consumption, the fee operates as a commercial charge retained by traders rather than a State-collected levy. They state that none of the proceeds reach the Consolidated Fund, waste management infrastructure, recycling programmes or environmental remediation projects.The petitioners asked the Court to order the State to collect the revenue under Sections 2 and 3 of the Environmental Conservation Levy Act, No. 26 of 2008, and to allocate it to environmental conservation. They stated that, under the Act, the Minister of Finance, in consultation with the Minister of Environment, can designate LDPE and LLDPE shopping bags as "specified items" subject to a conservation levy.They also sought a declaration that Article 12(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees equality and equal protection of the law, is being violated, together with regulations under the Act governing the collection and use of the revenue. They further asked for an order directing State agencies to promote reusable packaging, biodegradable lunch sheets and other sustainable alternatives.The petition also points to a lack of coordinated enforcement between the Police and the CEA, and calls for routine inspections, joint raids and the seizure of banned polythene products, including thin bags and lunch sheets.During the hearing, the Court was informed that discussions are under way among the respondents to formulate a mechanism for remitting the fees collected by private retail outlets, or an alternative tax, to the government.Attorneys Dr. Ravindranath Dabare, Nilmal Wickramasinghe and Savanthi Ponnamperuma appeared for the petitioners. Additional Solicitor General Kanishka de Silva appeared for the President and the government.

Court takes up bid to claim polythene bag fees

<ul><li>Awaits Treasury approval to use Hambantota terminal&nbsp;</li></ul> LAUGFS Gas PLC expects three liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipments to arrive in Sri Lanka this month, as the company seeks to restore domestic supplies amid continuing supply constraints, while the Government has turned to Litro Gas Lanka to cover the shortfall and initiated legal action against LAUGFS over its failure to meet agreed supply commitments.In a statement yesterday (3), LAUGFS said the shipments were scheduled to arrive at the Hambantota Port between 12 and 14 November, 15 and 17 November, and 24 and 28 November. The shipments are expected to be supplied by OQT and Geogas.However, the company cautioned that the arrival dates remain subject to shipping schedules, port operations and relevant regulatory approvals.LAUGFS said it was also working with the relevant authorities to obtain approval to release LPG stocks arriving through its Hambantota terminal to the domestic market.The company attributed the challenges affecting international LPG supply chains to tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to maritime transportation through the Strait of Hormuz.Although its Hambantota LPG import and export terminal, operated by subsidiary LAUGFS Terminals Ltd., has a storage capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes (MTs), its ability to supply the domestic market has been restricted by regulatory conditions linked to its Commercial Hub status under the Board of Investment (BOI) framework.Accordingly, LAUGFS has sought temporary approval to use the terminal for domestic LPG supplies for a period of three months. It is also working with the BOI, the Finance Ministry, Customs and the Import and Export Control Department to establish the necessary regulatory and operational arrangements to operate the terminal outside its existing Commercial Hub status, subject to applicable taxes and duties.According to the company, the BOI Chairperson has informed it that the Treasury Secretary has been requested to facilitate the necessary approvals within one week, following the President's instructions. However, the approvals had not been received at the time of the announcement.As a further measure to strengthen supply security, LAUGFS said it had called for a fresh tender to secure direct LPG supplies to the Colombo Port from January 2027.Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday that Litro Gas Lanka was increasing supplies to compensate for LAUGFS' failure to supply its agreed volumes."There’s a problem. Litro Gas Lanka supplies 85 per cent of the market while LAUGFS supplies 15%. The monthly demand is 38,000 MTs, out of which 32,000 MTs is provided by Litro while LAUGFS provides 6,000 MTs," he said at the Cabinet media briefing.He said that, due to the shortfall in LAUGFS supplies, Litro was required to increase its monthly supply to 44,000 MTs.Of this amount, 25,000 MTs had been supplied during the first 15 days, while a further 19,000 MTs was expected to be distributed during the remaining 15 days. An additional 12,000 MTs would also be distributed, he said.Jayatissa said that 3,900 MTs had been distributed on 31 October, with a further 3,900 MTs received on 1 November and another 3,900 MTs arriving on 2 November being distributed. This amounted to 11,700 MTs within four days, he added.He also confirmed that the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) had initiated legal action against LAUGFS over its failure to supply the agreed quantities during the period in question.The company’s explanations, including the impact of the Middle East situation, were not considered justifiable, he said.

Laugfs expecting three shipments 

A tense situation erupted in Parliament yesterday (3) after the Opposition demanded an immediate opportunity to raise privilege issues over the failure to debate the no-confidence motion (NCM) against Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several Parliamentarians insisting that their Parliamentary rights had been violated.Premadasa said that he had personally handed over a privilege question to the Speaker's Office and had also submitted it to the Deputy Speaker. He requested permission to raise it immediately, saying that it concerned the MPs' rights to speak, move motions and submit an NCM against the Speaker under the Parliament's Standing Orders (SOs).Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih said that five privilege questions had been submitted and needed to be studied before they could be taken up. He said that it was difficult to examine all five in such a short time and noted that they had been received after 9 a.m.Premadasa disputed this, saying that the Office had instructed him to arrive at 9.15 a.m. to submit the privilege question, following the usual procedure of arranging a time with the Speaker. “Neither you nor the Speaker was in the Office” he said, insisting that he be allowed to raise the issue.MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said that he had submitted his privilege question to the Office at 8.50 a.m. He said that the MPs would have submitted their questions directly to Salih had they known in advance that he would preside over the sitting. He added that he had handed over another copy after meeting Salih.MP Mujibur Rahman also said that he had submitted his privilege question before 9 a.m., noting that the SOs required such matters to be handed over before Parliament began its sitting but did not specify a particular time. “We only came to know that the Speaker wouldn’t be in the Chair after you took your seat. There is nothing in the SOs saying that privilege questions must be handed over to the Deputy Speaker,” he said.MP Ajith P Perera said that the dispute had arisen because the Opposition had submitted an NCM against the Speaker. He said that the motion contained 17 allegations relating to the misuse of State property, 20 bribery allegations and 13 allegations concerning a loss of impartiality.Jayasekara also questioned the decision to set aside the motion on the grounds that it was sub judice, saying that the relevant cases had not even been taken up by court.Salih said that he had received the documents only after taking the Chair. He said that he had not yet studied the submissions and could not allow them to be read out immediately. “I will study them during the course of today and inform you when they can be raised,” he said.Opposition MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam then cited SO 29(1), which gives priority to motions directly concerning Parliamentary privileges over other motions and scheduled business. He also referred to SO 29(2), which deals with the procedure for raising privilege matters.Rahman said that the NCM against the Speaker had already been included in Parliament's Order Paper.&nbsp;Several MPs then stood up holding placards. Opposition MP Dr Harsha de Silva suggested suspending the sitting for 10 or 15 minutes to allow the Deputy Speaker to study the submissions before recalling the House.However, Chief Government Whip Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said that SO 29(2) required MPs to obtain the Chair's permission before discussing a privilege matter. He asked Salih to study the submissions and provide a response, proposing that Parliament continue with its normal business in the meantime.Opposition MPs objected, shouting slogans against the Speaker, including “Thief.”Jayatissa said that an NCM could not include matters being considered by the courts under the SOs, adding that the Opposition had been asked to submit the motion in the correct form.&nbsp;

Defence Ministry notes: Military exits on the rise

Revised electoral system: Colombo gets one more seat

Revised electoral system: Colo ...

Money laundering: Yoshitha pleads not guilty

Money laundering: Yoshitha ple ...

Govt seeks PSC on Black July

Govt seeks PSC on Black July

2021-2025: Over 10,000 road accident deaths

2021-2025: Over 10,000 road ac ...

Namal gets bail in Krrish case

Namal gets bail in Krrish case ...

Court takes up bid to claim polythene bag fees

Court takes up bid to claim po ...

Laugfs expecting three shipments

Laugfs expecting three shipmen ...

Anti-Speaker NCM: Oppo-Govt clash over privilege issues

Anti-Speaker NCM: Oppo-Govt cl ...

Revised electoral system: Colombo gets one more seat

Revised electoral system: Colo ...

Money laundering: Yoshitha pleads not guilty

Money laundering: Yoshitha ple ...

Govt seeks PSC on Black July

Govt seeks PSC on Black July

2021-2025: Over 10,000 road accident deaths

2021-2025: Over 10,000 road ac ...

Namal gets bail in Krrish case

Namal gets bail in Krrish case ...

Court takes up bid to claim polythene bag fees

Court takes up bid to claim po ...

Laugfs expecting three shipments

Laugfs expecting three shipmen ...

Anti-Speaker NCM: Oppo-Govt clash over privilege issues

Anti-Speaker NCM: Oppo-Govt cl ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Revised electoral system: Colombo gets one more seat

Revised electoral system: Colo ...

Money laundering: Yoshitha pleads not guilty

Money laundering: Yoshitha ple ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Govt seeks PSC on Black July

Govt seeks PSC on Black July

2021-2025: Over 10,000 road accident deaths

2021-2025: Over 10,000 road ac ...

Namal gets bail in Krrish case

Namal gets bail in Krrish case ...

Court takes up bid to claim polythene bag fees

Court takes up bid to claim po ...