<ul><li>Rejects ERD’s arguments of confidentiality, impact on IR and debt restructuring&nbsp;</li><li>Holds that access to info on public debt and finance commitments a constitutional right&nbsp;</li></ul> The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has ordered the External Resources Department (ERD) to release three external loan agreements that were previously withheld from public access.The rulings were issued as final orders on two appeals filed separately by journalist Tharindu Iranga Jayawardhana and economist Dr. M. Sarvanathan against the ERD. The Commission’s decisions mark the first instance in which it has explicitly directed the full disclosure of external loan agreements, rejecting the position that such agreements are exempt from disclosure under the RTI Act, No. 12 of 2016. The appeals related to requests for copies of loan agreements entered into by the Government of Sri Lanka for major development projects, including water supply schemes, university development, road construction, and port-related infrastructure. The ERD had declined to release the documents, citing confidentiality clauses and stating that disclosure could affect Sri Lanka’s international relations (IR) and the debt restructuring process. After extensive hearings, the Commission rejected those arguments, ruling that the ERD had failed to follow the procedure set out in the RTI Act and had not demonstrated that disclosure would cause serious harm. The Commission stated that access to information relating to public debt and financial commitments is a constitutional right, particularly in the context of the country’s economic crisis. Under the first appeal, the Commission ordered the release of two loan agreements linked to the Gampaha–Attanagalla–Minuwangoda Water Supply Project and the South Eastern University Development Project (Phase 1B). Under the second appeal, it directed the ERD to release the loan agreement for the Katana Water Supply Project, signed in 2017 with the China Development Bank, on or before 27 February of this year (2026). Jayawardhana told the Commission there were allegations of fraud and the misuse of funds linked to several projects financed through external borrowing. He said that loans were taken for development projects, but that doubts persist over how the money was used and whether the intended outcomes were delivered. He also said the public has a right to know how these loans were negotiated, the terms attached to them, and how the funds were spent, particularly since the burden of repayment ultimately falls on the people. He referred to issues that emerged during Sri Lanka’s 2023 debt restructuring process and matters discussed in the related Supreme Court (SC) proceedings. The Commission accepted these submissions and noted that the release of loan agreements serves a clear public interest. It pointed out that public funds are used to service these loans and that findings by the Auditor General have highlighted irregularities in projects financed through such borrowing. The Commission further referred to the International Monetary Fund’s 2023 report on debt restructuring and observations made by the SC on the economic downturn. The Commission warned that the failure to comply with its orders could result in relevant legal proceedings against the Information Officer and the relevant public authority of the ERD under the RTI Act.&nbsp;

RTI Commission: Release of three foreign loan deals ordered

The suspended Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and the Chief of Staff (CoS), Chaminda Kularatne, lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday (2). According to Kularatne, the complaint was lodged against the Speaker of the House, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.Kularatne was suspended with effect from 23 January 2026. The decision to suspend Kularatne was taken by the Parliament Staff Advisory Committee, Chaired by Dr. Wickramaratne. The decision is reportedly linked to certain alleged irregularities concerning his appointment to the position. Last week, Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that an inquiry committee was appointed in 2025 to investigate the issues surrounding the appointment of Kularatne. He said a committee was appointed on 19 August 2025, to examine the appointment, qualifications, and confirmation of Kularatne in his Parliamentary post. Dr. Jayatissa stated that the committee submitted two recommendations. Based on these, he said that it was found that Kularatne had obtained the position of the Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff by providing false information, securing confirmation in the post, and unlawfully claiming salary entitlements not due him. These actions were deemed in violation of public service regulations and resulted in a financial loss, he stated. Following the recommendations, Kularatne was suspended, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated. Additionally, the matter has been referred to the CIABOC, as some officials involved in his appointment may be subject to investigation under the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, Dr. Jayatissa said. He emphasised that the Opposition was represented during the inquiry, and that anyone dissatisfied with the committee’s report has the right to appeal in court.

Chaminda Kularatne goes to CIABOC against Speaker

<ul><li>Urges enforcement of agreement as is&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> The Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) has demanded the relevant authorities immediately assess the damage caused by the use of substandard coal and act in line with the existing agreement. The ECA General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said that comments made by the Chairperson of the Lanka Coal Company at a recent media briefing, including his claim that “coal ash is a blessing”, were neither scientifically nor industrially acceptable. "Any discussion on the use of coal should come only after proper quality checks are carried out. Now, attempts are being made to justify the transaction instead of enforcing the agreement. In the case of the first shipment, the coal stock should have been rejected and returned without discussions on compensation. The agreement already provides clear remedies." He pointed out the agreement allows termination on two key grounds, both of which had been violated in the controversial transaction. "The coal shipment had a calorific value of only 5,900 kilocalories (kcal), well below the required 6,150 kcal specified in the contract, and the ash content exceeded the maximum permitted level of 16 per cent. Since these conditions were not met, the shipment must be returned immediately. Fines could only be imposed if the required calorific value had been achieved. The relevant institutions should also assess the thermal damage caused to power plant machinery worth billions of Rupees by using low-quality coal." Drawing an analogy, Dhammika said that most modern vehicles are designed to run on 95-octane fuel and that using lower-grade fuel is known to damage engines, a basic fact understood by the public. "Can individuals who fail to grasp such fundamentals be considered industrial engineers? The Government is currently incurring an estimated loss of around Rs. 75 million per day due to the substandard coal. An investigation should be carried out into all the parties who failed to act according to the agreement, and its findings should be disclosed to the public." Attempts to contact the Energy Ministry Secretary and the Acting Ceylon Electricity Board Chairperson, Prof. Udayanga Hemapala proved futile. Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said on 25 January, 2026 that tests had confirmed that the coal samples sent to India did not meet the required calorific value.

Substandard coal: ECA wants thermal machinery damage assessed

<ul><li>To request EU to formally link same to GSP+</li></ul> The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Party is planning to approach the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) over the Government's failure to address the issues of the Malaiyaha community.Speaking to The Daily Morning, the TPA Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan said that since repeated attempts to resolve the problems of the Malaiyaha community have not been addressed, the Party is seeking international mediation to have their rights addressed. He stated that the matter has already been discussed with both the United Nations Development Programme and the French Ambassador, with plans to meet the British High Commissioner on the issue soon, and to approach the HRCSL. He added that he intends to request the European Union (EU) to formally link Sri Lanka's access to the European Union (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concession to concrete steps addressing the rights of its marginalised communities."The President declared that lands and houses will be given to those who were affected by Ditwah. The lands of the estates belong to the Government and it has the capacity to give the Malaiyaha community - which has been marginalised for years - the opportunity to have a land this time. Yet, the Government has not taken any action. The Secretary of the Plantation and Community Infrastructure Ministry and the Commissioner-General of Essential Services, Prabath Chandrakeerthi stated that building the houses for the Malaiyaha Tamils will be done by India. The letter I sent to the President on 14 December of last year (2025) requesting to address the issues of the Malaiyaha community which has been impacted by cyclone Ditwah is not acknowledged to date," he further added.When contacted, Chandrakeerthi denied making such a statement as claimed by Ganesan. "The Government is providing compensation of Rs. five million for fully damaged houses in the plantation sector," he added.&nbsp;

Malaiyaha community grievances: TPA to complain to HRCSL

The Labour Ministry is urging employers take a pledge to eliminate child labour from their production and supply chains. This initiative comes as European and American export markets closely monitor the Government's active engagement towards eradicating child labour nationally.Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Labour Ministry Secretary, S.M. Piyatissa stated the concern of the European and American authorities over actions taken to eradicate child labour necessitates consistent reporting on progress. He warned the failure to do so could jeopardise future exports to these critical markets."We were bound to eradicate child labour by 2025, according to the UN Sustainable Development Goal," he said. "European countries ask for constant reports on the progress with that, and their official representatives in our country, including economic affairs divisions, gather data," he added.&nbsp;He further added the Ministry is launching awareness programmes for employers to highlight the situation. Through these programmes, the Ministry will ask employers to take a pledge to attempt to make their supply chains child labour free zones.

Labour Ministry to employers: Take a pledge to eradicate child labour 

The Attorney General’s (AG) Department’s Legal Officers’ Association has expressed concern over the circulation of unfounded and baseless personal attacks directed at the AG, President’s Counsel Parinda Ranasinghe Jr, and officers of the Department in the discharge of their official duties.This concern was raised through a resolution unanimously passed at a special general meeting of the Association held on 29 January of this year (2026), the statement said.&nbsp;The Association observed the recent vituperative and repeated attacks appear to be part of coordinated measures to exert pressure on the AG and officers of the Department, thereby undermining the independence of the institution. The Association noted that similar attacks had occurred in the recent past, and warned of the systematic abuse and manipulation of social media to create an artificial impression of public dissatisfaction. The Association cautioned that such attempts to intimidate the Department, if left unchecked, could cause irremediable damage to the administration of justice, the rule of law, and democratic governance, ultimately degrading the public trust.&nbsp; The Association also highlighted Ranasinghe’s integrity, fairness, and impartiality, as well as the substantial workload carried out by the Department despite severe shortages of personnel and resources. Calling on all stakeholders to actively counter misinformation, the Association warned that repeated attacks of this nature have a demoralising effect on the officers of the Department and could hinder their ability to provide effective legal services to the State and the people.&nbsp;The resolution further affirmed the Association’s unequivocal confidence in Ranasinghe, and reiterated its commitment to discharging duties fairly, justly, and in accordance with the law under his leadership. Emphasising the AG is subject to the rule of law, the Association noted that legitimate legal avenues exist for any person aggrieved by an act or omission of the AG, and stressed the Department will not be influenced by rhetoric or “trials by media” but will be guided solely by the law and admissible evidence. The Association also urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified and unsubstantiated allegations on social media, warning that such actions only serve to promote misinformation and undermine the independence of the office of the AG and the administration of justice.

Social media attacks: AG’s officers defend AG, and Department

The Supreme Court (SC) has decided to dismiss seven Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed by 145 Chief Inspectors of Police (CI) who challenged the promotions to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) based on applications called for in 2020.The decision was delivered following a lengthy hearing. Chief Justice (CJ) Preethi Padman Surasena announced the verdict with the concurrence of Justices Mahinda Samayawardhena and Sampath K.B. Wijeratne.According to the case details, the Inspector General of Police had issued an announcement on 31 January 2020, calling for applications for promotions to the rank of ASP. The petitioners alleged that although the Public Service Commission (PSC) conducted interviews and granted the promotions, they were denied the same despite fulfilling all the necessary qualifications. The petitioners further contended that the PSC had admitted that the marks obtained by candidates during the interviews were incorrect and had subsequently amended those marks. They argued that the PSC did not possess the legal authority to alter the marks once awarded, claiming that this process caused them severe prejudice. Additionally, the petitioners detailed several other grievances regarding the unfair treatment that they allegedly faced.During the proceedings, the SC called for the mark sheets of the candidates who appeared for the interviews to examine the facts. In delivering the judgment, the CJ noted that while the petitioners claimed that the PSC had altered the marks, the Secretary to the PSC had provided a clear explanation to the Court regarding the reasons for those changes. The Court stated that it was satisfied with the explanation and recognised the process as lawful. The judgment further noted that the arguments presented by the petitioners lacked legal merit and that they had failed to prove a violation of their FR before the Court. Accordingly, the SC dismissed the petitions without costs, stating that there were no reasonable grounds to grant the relief sought by the petitioners.

SC dismisses CI challenges to ASP promos

<ul><li>B.Ed. grads protest separately seeking urgent recruitment as teachers&nbsp;</li></ul>A protest organised by the School Development Officers’ (DOs) Association commenced yesterday morning (2) in front of the Presidential Secretariat, citing the lack of solutions to their long-standing grievances. The Association stated the protest is being conducted with the support of civil society representatives.Meanwhile, the ongoing hunger strike launched by the Association outside the Secretariat has now reached its ninth consecutive day.The protest, which initially began as a satyagraha, was escalated to a fast-unto-death as officers demand their immediate absorption into the permanent teacher service, stating they are already performing teaching duties in schools.The Association noted that a discussion with the President has been scheduled for today (3) to address these issues. However, Viraj Manaranga of the Association emphasised that yesterday’s protest was launched because the authorities have repeatedly failed to provide a definitive resolution.Earlier yesterday, a delegation from the Sarvajana Balaya Party, including its Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian, attorney Dilith Jayaweera, visited the protest site to meet with the fasting officers and inquire into their well-being.Meanwhile, a separate protest was launched in front of the Education Ministry at Isurupaya, Battaramulla, by the Union of Education Graduates. They are urging the Government to expedite the recruitment of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) graduates from state universities into the teaching service.Commenting on the broader crisis, the Chairperson of the Lanka Teacher Services Union, Priyantha Fernando, alleged that while there is currently a shortage of 43,000 teachers in the education system, the Government has failed to take effective measures to fill these vacancies.

Edu sector: DOs commence protest alongside fast 

<ul><li>Protest over alleged plans by Govt to settle ‘Southerners’ in agri lands&nbsp;</li></ul>A group of people staged a protest yesterday (2) in Nedunkerny, demanding that the proposed ‘Kivul Oya Reservoir Project’, which is expected to be launched to provide irrigation facilities for farming to the residents of Welioya and the Northern Province, be halted. Representatives of Tamil political parties in the Northern Province, along with area residents staged the protest.Protesters claim that under the pretext of providing water for agriculture to the people of Welioya through the proposed Kivul Oya project, there are plans to resettle people from the South in the North. They further claimed that the Government is aiming to carry out a settlement program by allocating agricultural lands in the Northern Province to people from the South through the water project, and emphasised they strongly oppose this plan.

RTI Commission: Release of three foreign loan deals ordered

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