Cabinet reshuffle: Two ministers and two state ministers sworn in

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament Dilum Amunugama was sworn in as the new Cabinet Minister of Transport, the President’s Media Division (PMD) announced today.

Accordingly, he took oaths before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (March 04) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Amunugama’s appointment came after Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who was serving as the Transport Minister,  was sworn in as the new Minister of Power last evening (March 03) following the sacking of Udaya Gammanpila.

Amunugama previously served as the State Minister of Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services and Train Compartments and Motor Car Industry and State Minister of Community Police Services.

Meanwhile, C.B Ratnayake was sworn in as the Cabinet Minister of Wildlife Protection & Forest Resources Development.

Further, Arundika Fernando, who recently resigned from his position over the assault at the Kelaniya University’s Faculty of Medicine in Ragama has been reinstated after the committee appointed by the President to inquire into the incident of an attack on medical faculty students found not guilty of the accusations of his alleged involvement.  

Thereby, Fernando was sworn in again as the State Minister of Coconut, Kithul and Palmyra Cultivation Promotion, Related Industrial Product Manufacturing & Export Diversification.

According to the PMD, SLPP MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake took oath today as the new State Minister of Disaster Management. He previously served as the State Minister of Wildlife Protection, Adoption of Safety Measures including the Construction of Electrical Fences and Trenches and Reforestation and Forest Resource Development.

The reshuffling of several key ministerial portfolios first came yesterday after Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila were stripped of their posts.

Accordingly, SLPP MP Gamini Lokuge took oaths yesterday as the Minister of Energy while SLPP MP S.B. Dissanayake was sworn in as the new Minister of Industries, replacing Gammanpila and Weerawansa, respectively.

Reshuffled ministerial portfolios are as follows:

Gamini Lokuge - Minister of Energy

Pavithra Wanniarachchi - Minister of Power

S.B. Dissanayake - Minister of Industries

Dilum Amunugama - Minister of Transport

Arundika Fernando - State Minister of Coconut, Kithul and Palmyra Cultivation Promotion, Related Industrial Product Manufacturing & Export Diversification

C.B. Ratnayake - Minister of Wildlife Protection & Forest Resources Development

Wimalaweera Dissanayake - State Minister of Disaster Management

Dilum Amunugama - Minister of Transport

C.B. Ratnayake - Minister of Wildlife Protection & Forest Resources Development

Wimalaweera Dissanayake - State Minister of Disaster Management

Arundika Fernando - State Minister of Coconut, Kithul and Palmyra Cultivation Promotion, Related Industrial Product Manufacturing & Export Diversification