Politics

Three Non-Cabinet Ministers, 17 State Ministers and seven Deputy Ministers were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat this evening. The three Non-Cabinet Ministers are Dr. Harsha de Silva who was sworn in as the Non-Cabinet Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution, Ajith P Perera-Non-Cabinet Minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology and MP Sujeewa Senasinghe-Non-Cabinet Minister of Science, Technology and Research. The 17 State Ministers are, MP Ranjan Ramanayake - Highways and Road Development, J.C Alawathuwala - Home Affairs and Provincial Councils, Vijayakala Maheswaran - Education, Ruwan Wijewardene - Defence, Eran Wickramaratne - Finance, Champika Premadasa - Power and Renewable Energy, Ranjith Aluwihare - Tourism Development, Wasantha Aluwihare - Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Economy, Lucky Jayawardane - City Planning and Water Supply, Niroshan Perera - National Policies and Economic Affairs, Ashoka Abesinghe - Transport and Civil Aviation, Faizal Kassim - Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, H.M.M. Harees - Provincial Council and Local Government, Ameer Ali - Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Economy, Dilip Wedaarachchi - Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, A.Z.M.Seyed - Social Empowerment and Vadivel Suresh-Plantation Industries. The Deputy Ministers who were appointed are, Anoma Gamage - Petroleum Resources Development, Nalin Bandara Jayamaha - Development Strategies and International Trade, Edward Gunasekara - Lands and Parliamentary Affairs, Ajith Mannapperuma - Environment, Karunarathna Paranawithana - Skills Development and Vocational Training, Buddika Pathirana - Industry and Commerce and Palitha Thewarapperuma - Social Empowerment Deputy Minister.