The swearing-in ceremony of the State Ministers & Deputy Ministers of the new government commenced a short while ago.

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:

1. Chamal Rajapaksa - State Minister of Defence
2. Vasudeva Nanayakkara - State Minister of Water Supply Facilities
3. Gamini Lokuge - State Minister of Urban Development
4. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene - State Minister of Irrigation and Rural Development
5. S.B. Dissanayake - State Minister of Land & Land Development
6. John Seneviratne - State Minister of Economic and Policy Development
7. Mahinda Samarasinghe - State Minister of Public Administration and Internal Affairs
8. C.B. Ratnayake - State Minister of Railway Services
9. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene - State Minister of Information and Communication Technology
10. Susantha Punchinilame - State Minister of Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) Development
11. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa - State Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Welfare
12. Susil Premajayantha - State Minister of International Cooperation
13. Priyankara Jayaratne - State Minister of Indigenous Medicine
14. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya - State Minister of Education Service
15. Mahindananda Aluthgamage - State Minister of Power
16. Duminda Dissanayake - State Minister of Youth Affairs
17. Rohitha Abeygunawardene - State Minister of Energy
18. Dayasiri Jayasekara - State Minister of Industries
19. Lasantha Alagiyawanna - State Minister of Public Management and Accounting
20. Keheliya Rambukwella - State Minister of Investment Promotions
21. Arundika Fernando - State Minister of Tourism
22. Thilanga Sumathipala - State Minister of Technology & Innovations
23. Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva - State Minister of Human Rights & Legal Reforms
24. Vijitha Berugoda - State Minister of Women and Child Affairs
25. Roshan Ranasinghe - State Minister of Mahaweli Development
26. Janaka Wakkumbura - State Minister of Export Agriculture
27. Vidura Wickremenayake - State Minister of Agriculture
28. Shehan Semasinghe - State Minister of Development Banks and Loan Schemes
29. Kanaka Herath - State Minister of Ports Development
30. Dilum Amunugama - State Minister of Transport Services Management
31. Lohan Ratwatte - State Minister of Road Development
32. Wilamaweera Dissanayake - State Minister of Wildlife Resources
33. Jayantha Samaraweera - State Minister of Environment 
34. Sanath Nishantha Perera - State Minister of Fisheries & Freshwater Fishing Resources
35. Tharaka Balasuriya - State Minister of Social Security

Deputy Ministers:

1. Nimal Lanza - Deputy Minister of Community Empowerment and Estate Infrastructure
2. Kanchana Wijesekara - Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
3. Indika Anuruddha - Deputy Minister of Public Management, Internal Affairs, Provincial Council and Local Government