The swearing-in ceremony of State Ministers & Deputy Ministers of the new government was held this morning (27).
The ceremony, presided by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, is taking place at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
A total number of 35 State Ministers and 3 Deputy Ministers took oaths before the President.
Minister of Mahaweli Development, Agriculture & Trade Chamal Rajapaksa was sworn in as the State Minister of Defence while S.B. Dissanayake was sworn in as the State Minister of Land & Land Development.
In the meantime, SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara took oaths as the State Minister of Industries.
The list of the newly appointed State Ministers and Deputy Ministers is as follows.
State Ministers:
- Chamal Rajapaksa – State Minister of Defence
- Vasudeva Nanayakkara – State Minister of Water Supply and Drainage
- Gamini Lokuge – State Minister of Urban Development
- Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene – State Minister of Irrigation and Rural Development
- S.B. Dissanayake – State Minister of Land & Land Development
- John Seneviratne – State Minister of Economic Affairs and Policy Development
- Mahinda Samarasinghe – State Minister of Public Administration and Internal Affairs
- C.B. Ratnayake – State Minister of Railway Services
- Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene – State Minister of Information and Communication Technology
- Susantha Punchinilame – State Minister of Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Development
- Anura Priyadarshana Yapa – State Minister of Trade and Consumer Welfare
- Susil Premajayantha – State Minister of International Relations
- Priyankara Jayaratne – State Minister of Indigenous Medicine
- Ranjith Siyambalapitiya – State Minister of Education Service
- Mahindananda Aluthgamage – State Minister of Power
- Duminda Dissanayake – State Minister of Youth Affairs
- Rohitha Abeygunawardene – State Minister of Energy
- Dayasiri Jayasekara – State Minister of Industries
- Lasantha Alagiyawanna – State Minister of Public Management and Accounting
- Keheliya Rambukwella – State Minister of Investment Promotions
- Arundika Fernando – State Minister of Tourism
- Thilanga Sumathipala – State Minister of Technology & Innovations
- Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva – State Minister of Human Rights & Legal Reforms
- Vijitha Berugoda – State Minister of Women and Child Affairs
- Roshan Ranasinghe – State Minister of Mahaweli Development
- Janaka Wakkumbura – State Minister of Export Agriculture
- Vidura Wickremenayake – State Minister of Agriculture
- Shehan Semasinghe – State Minister of Development Banks and Loan Schemes
- Kanaka Herath – State Minister of Ports Development Affairs
- Dilum Amunugama – State Minister of Transport Services Management
- Lohan Ratwatte – State Minister of Roads and Highways Development
- Wilamaweera Dissanayake – State Minister of Wildlife Resources
- Jayantha Samaraweera – State Minister of Environment
- Sanath Nishantha Perera – State Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources
- Tharaka Balasuriya – State Minister of Social Security
Deputy Ministers:
- Nimal Lanza – Deputy Minister of Community Empowerment and Estate Infrastructure
- Kanchana Wijesekara – Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
- Indika Anuruddha – Deputy Minister of Public Management, Internal Affairs, Provincial Council and Local Government