Nuwan Dharmaratne has resigned from his position as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Pelwatte Sugar Industries, following a request made by Minister of Plantations Sunil Handunnetti over a social media post concerning the sugar industry.
Minister Handunnetti, speaking to the media, confirmed that he asked Dharmaratne to step down due to remarks made on social media which, according to the Minister, were not in line with his official role.
Dharmaratne was appointed to the post in October 2024 by Minister Vijitha Herath, shortly after the new government assumed office following the election of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The resignation letter was submitted on May 27 and formally accepted on June 3, after Minister Handunnetti returned from overseas.
In response to the controversy, Dharmaratne maintained that his comments were aimed at protecting the local sugar industry, particularly with regard to the impact of ethanol production from maize. He denied leaking any confidential information or participating in a recent media event held by sugarcane farmers. (Newswire)
