Leader of the House Susil Premajayantha informed Parliament that the company responsible for printing passports has been directed to produce 750,000 passports within a month.
He was responding opposition accusations of corruption and mismanagement in introducing a new passport system without following the proper tender process.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa criticized the government for lacking a contingency plan during the transition to the e-passport system.
Minister Premajayantha acknowledged delays due to technical issues and admitted that the shortage of regular passports was due to inadequate stock management by the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
He assured that measures have been taken, following Cabinet discussions, to address the issue by printing the required passports as quickly as possible.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today that the suspect in the rape of a lady doctor at the Anuradhapura teaching hospital has been identified as an army deserter and he will be apprehended shortly.
Police have arrested the suspect connected to the sexual assault on a female doctor at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital today morning in Galnewa.
The Dutch Public Prosecutor suspects two companies of paying bribes in the construction of hospitals in Sri Lanka, according to an investigation by FD, the Dutch financial newspaper.
The Government today tabled in the House the Report of the Commission to Inquiry into the Establishment and Maintenance of Unlawful Places of Detention and Torture Chambers in the Batalanda Housing Scheme.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said today he wholly rejects the Batalanda Commission report and that it was appointed wholly with the intention slinging political mud at him.
Leader of the National People’s Party (NPP) and one time Propaganda Secretary of the JVP Wimal Weerawansa accused the Government of bringing back the “Batalanda Commission” for a media spectacle instead of a genuine concern for those who suffered during the 1988-1990 period.
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