• Third official to resign from institutions under Transport Ministry

The Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation claimed that the resignation of the former Chairperson of the National Transport Commission (NTC), Dr. Bandura Dileepa Vitharana, was due to personal reasons, not a conflict with the minister or the Government.

Last week, Dr. Vitharana reportedly submitted his resignation letter to the Ministry of Transport. Dr. Vitharana, who previously served as the head of the Transport Committee of the National People’s Power (NPP), is also a lecturer at the Open University of Sri Lanka in Nawala.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (30), the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Prof. Kapila Perera, stated that Dr. Vitharana had informed the ministry that he resigned due to personal and academic commitments. "I spoke to him after the resignation, and he confirmed that it was due to personal and academic reasons. He is a university teacher. I was informed of this personally, so there is no issue with the administration," Perera said.

Incidentally, Dr. Vitharana is the third official to resign from the chairmanship of institutions under ministries overseen by Minister Bimal Rathnayake. Previously, the Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), Ramal Siriwardana, and the Chairperson of the National Transport Medical Institute (NMTI), Ruwan Wijayamuni, also stepped down from their respective positions.

When asked about these resignations, Prof. Perera said: "I am unaware of these resignations. However, we need some people to help achieve the Government's vision. I am not aware of the reasons for their resignations, but I can confirm that the resignation of the NTC Chairman was for personal reasons. It has nothing to do with the minister or the Government, as claimed by the media," he said.