Sri Lanka has launched a new online system to issue concessionary railway season tickets for government officials, marking another step in the National Digitalization Programme. 

The initiative was formally introduced today (09) under the leadership of Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena.

Under the programme, government institutions must register on the digital railway platform to apply for concessionary season tickets for their staff. 

At the inaugural event, officials representing 35 state institutions took part in the registration process.

Officials requiring concessionary passes will be able to register through the Pravesha mobile app or the www.pravesha.lk website, coordinated by their institution’s subject officer. 

Registered officials will be able to apply for July season tickets starting from June 15, 2026.

The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Transport and Highways together with Sri Lanka Railways and the Greater Colombo Railway Project. 

Authorities expect the initiative to make the national digital transformation programme a reality, while improving efficiency, service quality, and passenger convenience in the railway sector. (Newswire)

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The Police have warned Sri Lankan citizens returning from overseas of financial fraud related to car rentals. 

According to the Police, Sri Lankans returning from abroad are requested to remain vigilant when obtaining car rental services via online.

They have been urged to verify details of the car rental company before making payments.

The Police state they have received reports of fraudsters obtaining money, disconnecting their phones, and not providing the service. (Newswire)

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Land survey maps will be available online starting tomorrow, 01 August 2025, Surveyor General Y.G. Gnanathilaka announced today. 

He made this statement during a media briefing held at the Government Information Department on the 225th anniversary of the Survey Department.

The anniversary falls tomorrow (01), and the department also plans to issue a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.

Addressing the media, Surveyor General Gnanathilaka said until now, survey maps were provided only through departmental offices, and that with this new system, the public can obtain maps by making online payments.

The land information database of the Survey Department is linked with the Land Registry Department, enabling the public to access land-related data.

According to the Surveyor General, all maps and plans have now been digitized, and nearly 2.4 million land plots have been archived in the department’s data repository.

Additionally, land survey-related information has been integrated into the department’s system, and when issuing land title certificates, digitized survey sketches can be accessed via the department’s website. (Newswire)

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A proposal has been submitted to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to obtain support for digitizing the process by which Sri Lankans apply for foreign travel documents through Sri Lankan missions and offices abroad.

The project has been jointly proposed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment and the Minister of Public Security, and submitted to the IOM to expedite the procedure.

Accordingly, the IOM has agreed to provide the necessary funding to implement the project covering 20 Sri Lankan overseas missions/offices. 

The project includes supplying biometric capture centres and related equipment, facilitating online connectivity with the Department of Immigration and Emigration, developing integrated systems/software, and providing necessary technical assistance.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the joint proposal presented to implement the said project. (Newswire)

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The Department of Immigration and Emigration has announced the introduction of a new online system to obtain passports, which will be effective from 06 November 2024. 

Addressing the media today, acting Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Nilusha Balasooriya said the public can make reservations to allocate a date to obtain passports using their National Identity Cards (NIC). 

Stating that the system has been introduced on the department’s official website, she said tokens will be issued through the system for people to pre-book their appointments to obtain passports.

“The portal for passport appointments can be found on the left side of the department’s official website, under the category ‘Register to apply for a passport’. Limited tokens will be issued each day allowing people to make prior reservations to obtain passports,” she explained. 

Nilusha Balasooriya further said the decision to implement the new online system from Wednesday has been taken after considering the people who have arrived from distant areas and are standing in a queue outside the department. 

With the launch of the new online system, she said that the public can apply for tokens to make reservations from 01 December 2024. 

For more details visit https://www.immigration.gov.lk/index_e.php. (Newswire)

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The issuance of train tickets online has been effective since yesterday (22).

Passengers can now purchase digital train tickets through the website www.pravesha.lk eliminating the need to wait in queue. Tickets will still be available at counters for those who prefer to purchase them in person.

“We plan to introduce this online system for season tickets before the end of this year. Additionally, new methods for train seat reservations and goods transportation will be rolled out over the next three months,” the Transport Ministry Secretary said. (Newswire)

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The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has busted a large-scale online financial fraud network operating from Negombo which targeted several foreign countries, as well as Sri Lankans.

According to the Police, the CID arrested 33 suspects, including foreign nationals, engaged in the financial fraud. 

The CID had received a complaint from a woman on June 13 in which she claimed that she had been included in a WhatsApp group requesting to like and comment on TikTok videos for which she would receive cash payments. 

The woman has claimed that even though she had received Rs. 750 on multiple occasions for liking and commenting on TikTok videos, she was later requested to join the group’s telegram service to receive future cash payments. 

However, the admin of the WhatsApp group is said to have requested the woman to deposit money to a bank account to receive cash payments, following which the woman is said to have deposited money amounting to Rs. 5.4 million on multiple occasions.

As she had failed to receive her cash payments as promised, the woman had filed a complaint with the CID in this regard.

Investigations launched into two bank accounts to which the woman had deposited money had led to the arrest of a father and son in Peradeniya. The duo had revealed that they had also fallen victim to the scam and had been instructed by the scammers to open the said bank accounts.

Further investigations found an order for Pizza made via one bank account, which had led to the CID finding the delivery location as a luxury house in the Negombo area.

Based on this information, the CID officers raided the house on Monday night, during which 13 suspects including 2 women were arrested, while the officers also seized 57 mobile phones, 13 computers, and 3 laptops used to carry out the scam. The arrested group consists of two Sri Lankans, and Pakistan, Algeria, Nepal, and Malaysia nationals. 

Following information from the group, the CID officials raided another luxury house also in Negombo where they apprehended 19 other suspects and seized 52 mobile phones and 33 computers. The suspects include Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesian nationals. 

The suspects have revealed that they had scammed foreigners as well and that their operations are also based in Dubai and Afghanistan. (Newswire)

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The Cabinet of Ministers has agreed to the appointment of an Authorized Agent to submit visa applications through the online system for foreigners visiting Sri Lanka.

In September 2023, the Cabinet decided to appoint an evaluation committee to evaluate the proposal submitted by GBS Technology Services & IVS Global – FZCO and VFS VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd to act as an authorized agent for the online submission of visa applications for foreigners visiting Sri Lanka. 

According to the government, the evaluation committee appointed accordingly has submitted its report on the matter. 

As such, the Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Public Security to perform according to the recommendations of that report.

The cabinet has also agreed to the signing of the relevant agreement which has been drafted according to the observations made by the Attorney General. (NewsWire)

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State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon has called for a collective effort to address the online radicalization of youth.

The State Minister emphasized that online youth radicalization in the South Asian region is a complex challenge that demands urgent attention.

He further said fostering education, collaboration, socio-economic development and leveraging technology responsibly, can help empower youth to resist extremist narratives and pave the way for a more peaceful and harmonious future in the region.

State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon made these remarks while attending a Youth De-Radicalization Workshop organized by Search for Common Ground with Meta (Facebook), Skype, Twitter and Messenger, in Colombo on Thursday (Dec 07).

Commenting further, the State Minister noted “Youth radicalization doesn’t occur in a vacuum. It’s often born out of a complex interplay of socio-economic disparities, political instability, marginalization and a lack of education or opportunities and addressing radicalization requires a multifaceted approach – one that goes beyond mere security measures”.

“Social media has evolved as a social nation and exerts enormous influence around the world. Today due to the online platforms, there is only a fine line between freedom of expression and social security and communication service providers have a great responsibility in the appropriate use of safety tools and measures,” he added.

Representatives of the Tech Industry and civil society organizations were present at the occasion. (NewsWire)

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The National Water Supply and Drainage Board has introduced an electronic billing system. 

According to a notice from the Water Board, consumers can obtain the service by sending their water bill account number via SMS to 071 939 999

Consumers can now receive important details of the water service such as interruption notices, billing details, outstanding reminders, etc. by registering for the SMS-based services. 

“You can send us your account number as an SMS to 071 939 99 99 from your mobile phone (which will be registered as your mobile number). Also, you can register now for eBills by sending your email address also with your account number (separated by a comma),” the water board added.

How to register?

Send SMS to 071 939 9999

To register for SMS service only, send your account number

E.g. 10/25/121/020/14 

To register for SMS services and ebills, send your account number and the email address

E.g. 10/25/121/020/12,username@example.com (NewsWire)

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The online passport system has faced several issues due to the failure to follow proper procedures by applicants, the Department of Immigration and Emigration stated.

Controller General of the Department, Harsha Ilukpitiya pointed out that the failure to record fingerprints properly, failure to submit biodata information properly, and failure to follow proper procedures while submitting documents required for registration through the online system are some of the identified issues.

Ilukpitiya stated that among the 35,000 applications submitted through the online passport system, the department has only been capable of issuing 3,700 passports at present.

The public has been requested to contact the Department of Immigration and Emigration or their relevant Divisional Secretaries to rectify the mistakes and thereafter submit their documents for online passports. 

All necessary details pertaining to the online passport system can be acquired from the official website of the Department of Immigration and Emigration. (NewsWire)

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Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa yesterday raised concerns of the Professional Photographic Studio Owners Association on the impact on their businesses due to the new online passport issuance initiative.

Applauding the new pilot project to issue passports via an online system, MP Premdasa said in Parliament that it was a commendable programme that vastly benefits the public. 

He said, however, nearly 7000 owners of Professional Photographic Studios met him and pointed out that their traditional photography studios lose income due to the new online system.

Briefing the Parliament on the matter, MP Premadasa requested the authorities to amend the system so as to include the traditional Professional Photographic Studios in the project, while not hindering the public.

Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya announced this week that online applications for passports can be submitted from next Thursday (June 15).

The implementation of an online passport application system is part of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s initiative to digitize public services in Sri Lanka.

The new process aims to streamline the passport application process and ensure that passports are delivered to applicants’ residences within a span of three days via courier.

To facilitate the efficient delivery of passports, 50 regional secretariats across the island have been equipped with the necessary facilities. (NewsWire)

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Online applications for passports can be submitted from next Thursday (June 15), the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya announced today.

The implementation of an online passport application system is part of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s initiative to digitize public services in Sri Lanka.

The new process aims to streamline the passport application process and ensure that passports are delivered to applicants’ residences within a span of three days.

To facilitate the efficient delivery of passports, 50 regional secretariats across the island have been equipped with the necessary facilities. 

According to the system, once applicants submit their relevant applications to the nearest Regional Secretariat and complete the required procedures, the passport will be dispatched to their residence via courier service.

Individuals can conveniently apply for passports from their homes by visiting www.immigration.gov.lk, selecting the ‘Apply for passports’ option and validating the provided information, applicants will receive the necessary application form. 

Before uploading the soft copy of the form, applicants can specify whether they prefer the expedited ’03 day service’ or the standard ’02 week service.’

Following this, applicants must visit their Divisional Secretariat to provide their fingerprints and make the required payment via the online system offered by the Bank of Ceylon. 

Those unable to complete the process at home can visit an authorized photo studio under the Immigration and Emigration Department to obtain the necessary documents and fulfil the requirements.

In case individuals encounter difficulties making online payments after visiting the Divisional Secretariat and providing their fingerprints, alternative payment facilities are available. 

After submitting their fingerprints, the Divisional Secretariat will provide a designated number, which can be presented to the Bank of Ceylon. The amount due will then be transferred to the Immigration and Emigration Department.

This initiative comes in response to reports of brokers causing disruptions in the passport issuance process. (NewsWire)

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