COLOMBO – A 25member Cabinet with 39 State Ministers was sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Magul Maduwa (Audience Hall) of the historic Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, on Wednesday (12) morning.  Twenty three newly elected Members of Parliament were also sworn in as District Coordinating Committee Chairmen.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa retained the powerful defence portfolio and gave other key jobs to his close family. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapkasa was given several portfolios including Finance, Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and Urban Development and Housing and Namal Rajapaksa was given the Youth and Sports Affairs portfolio.

A statement from the President’s Media Division (PMD), noted that the president had repeatedly stressed the requirement of an efficient Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to build a prosperous nation in the future.

It said the composition of the Cabinet had been formulated in a pragmatic and a realistic manner according to the Saubhagyaye Dekma (Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour) policy statement, to implement the national program.  It also noted that special attention was paid to the areas of national security, economic development, infrastructure facilities, education, health and sports in the process of formulation of the ministerial structure.

Earlier this week the president issued an Extraordinary Gazette on the structure of the new ministries and their relevant functions.

The new Parliament is set to convene on August 20.

The list of Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers, District Coordinating Committee Chairmen and the government MPs who didn’t receive any portfolios:

Cabinet Ministers –

1. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa – Defence

2. Mahinda Rajapaksa – Finance

3. Mahinda Rajapaksa  – Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

4. Mahinda Rajapaksa –  Urban Development and Housing

5. Nimal Siripala De Silva – Labour

6. G.L Pieris –  Education

7. Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi –  Health

8. Dinesh Gunawardana – Foreign Relations

9. Douglas Devananda  –  Fisheries

10. Gamini Lokuge – Transport

11. Bandula Gunawardana  – Trade

12. R.M.C.B. Rathnayake  – Wildlife and Forest Conservation

13. Janaka Bandara Thennakoon –  Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government

14. Keheliya Rambukwella – Mass Media

15. Chamal Rajapaksa – Irrigation

16. Dullas Alahapperuma – Power

17. Johnston Fernando – Highways

18. Wimal Weerawansa – Industries

19. Mahinda Amaraweera – Environment

20. S.M. Chandrasena  – Land

21. Mahindananda Aluthgamage – Agriculture

22. Vasudeva Nanayakkara – Water Supply

23. Udaya Prabhath Gammanpila – Energy

24. Ramesh Pathirana – Plantation

25. Prasanna Ranatunga – Tourism

26. Rohitha Abeygunawardena – Ports and Shipping

27. Namal Rajapaksa – Youth and Sports Affairs

28. PC Ali Sabry – Justice

State Ministers – 

1. Chamal Rajapaksa – Internal Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management

2. Piyankara Jayaratne – Foreign Employment Promotions and Market Diversification

3. Duminda Dissanayake – Solar, Wind, Grid Power Generation Projects Development

4. Dayasiri Jayasekara – Batik, Handloom Fabrics and Local Apparel Products

5. Lasantha Alagiyawanna – Cooperative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection.

6. Sudarshani Fernandopulle – Prisons Reforms and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation

7. Arundika Fernando – Coconut, Fishtail Palm, Palmyra and Rubber product Promotion and Allied Industrial Production and Export Diversification

8. Nimal Lansa – Rural Road and other Infrastructure Facilities

9. Jayantha Samaraweera – Warehouse Facilities, Container Yards, Port Supply Facilities and Boats and Shipping Industry Development.

10. Roshan Ranasinghe – Land Management Affairs, State Business Lands and Property Development

11. Kanaka Herath – Company Establishment Reforms, Tea Estate Crops, Tea Factory Modernization and Tea Export Diversification

12. Vidura Wickramanayake – Promotion of National Heritage, Performing Arts and Rural Artists

13. Janaka Wakkumbura – Development of Sugarcane, Maize, Cashew, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Betel Production and Promotion of Allied Products and Export

14. Vijitha Berugoda – Dhamma Schools, Bhikku Education, Pirivenas and Buddhist Universities

15. Shehan Semasinghe – Development of Samurdhi Home Economy, Microfinance, Self-Employment and Businesses and Under-Utilized State Resources

16. Mohan de Silva – Regulation of Fertilizer Production and Supply, Use of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides

17. Lohan Ratwatte – Gem and Jewellery Related Industries

18.  Dilum Amunugama – Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services and Carriages and Automotive Industries

19. Wimalaweera Dissanayake – Wildlife Conservation Protection Programs including Electric Fence and Ditch Construction and Re-Forestation and Wildlife Resources Development

20. Tharaka Balasooriya – Regional Cooperation

21. Indika Anurudda – Rural Home Construction and Building Materials Industry Promotion

22. Kanchana Wijesekera – Ornamental Fish, Freshwater Fish and Shrimp Farming Development, Multi-day Fishing and Fish Export

23. Sanath Nishantha – Development of Rural and Regional Drinking Water Supply Projects

24. Siripala Gamlath – Development of Common Infrastructure Facilities of Settlements and Canals in Mahaweli Zones

25. Sarath Weerasekara – Provincial Councils and Local Government Affairs

26. Anuradha Jayaratne – Development of Rural Paddy Fields and Associated Tanks, Reservoirs and Irrigation

27. Sadasivam Viyalendran – Professional Development of Postal Services and Mass Media

28. Thenuka Vidanagamage – Rural and School Sports Infrastructure Promotion

29. Sisira Jayakody – Promotion of Indigenous Medicine, Development of Rural Ayurvedic Hospitals and Community Health

30. Piyal Nishantha de Silva – Women and Child Development, Pre-School and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and School Services

31. Prasanna Ranaweera – Cane, Brass, Clay Furniture and Rural Industry Promotion

32. D. V. Chanaka – Development of Aviation and Export Zones

33. D. B. Herath – Livestock and Farm Promotion and Dairy and Eggs Related Industries

34. Shasheendra Rajapaksa – Paddy and Cereals, Organic Food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chilies, Onions and Potatoes, Seed Production and High Tech Agriculture

35. Nalaka Godahewa – Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Waste Disposal and Public Sanitation

36. Jeewan Thondaman – Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure Facilities

37. Ajith Nivard Cabraal – Finance and Capital Markets and Public Enterprise Reforms

38. Seetha Arambepola – Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation

39. Channa Jayasumana – Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation

District Coordinating Committee Chairmen –

1. Pradeep Udugoda – Colombo 

 2. Sahan Pradeep Vithana – Gampaha

3. Sanjeewa Edirimanna – Kalutara

4. Wasantha Yapa Bandara – Kandy 

5. N. Nalaka Bandara Kottegoda – Matale

6. S.B. Dissanayake – Nuwara Eliya

7. Sampath Athukorala – Galle 

8. Nipuna Ranawaka -Matara

9. Upul Galappaththi – Hambantota 

10. Angajan Ramanathan – Jaffna

11. Douglas Devananda – Kilinochchi

12. K. Dileepa – Vavuniya

 13. K. Kader Masthan – Mannar and Mullaitivu

14. D. Weerasinghe – Ampara

15. Kapila Athukorala -Trincomalee

16.  Gunapala Rathnasekara – Kurunegala

17. Ashoka Priyantha – Puttalam

18. H. Nandasena -Anuradhapura

19. Amarakeerthi Athukorala – Polonnaruwa

20. Sudarshana Denipitiya – Badulla

21. Kumarasiri Rathnayaka – Monaragala 

22. Akila Ellawala – Ratnapura 

23. Rajika Wickramasinghe – Kegalla

Senior MPs who didn’t receive portfolios –

1. Maithripala Sirisena

2. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene (Tipped to be the next speaker)

3. Susil Premjayantha

4. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa

5. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya

6. Wijedasa Rajapaksa

7. S.B. Dissanayake

8. Mahinda Samarasinghe

9. W.D.J. Senaviratne

10. Dilan Perera

11. Chandima Weerakkodi

-ENCL