Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Chathuranga Abeysinghe, clarified that the Clean Sri Lanka programme is not limited to enforcing existing laws or environmental cleanup but represents a broader concept aimed at transforming society.
Speaking to the media after opening the Public Coordination Office in the Kotte electorate, Abeysinghe explained how the programme would be implemented.
“President Anura Kumara Dissanayake introduced the Clean Sri Lanka concept on 1 January. The details of its implementation will be shared within the next two weeks. This initiative is not just about the environment but also about fostering community ethics, social behaviour, and national progress. We will identify key issues in each constituency and develop specific projects to address them. All state institutions will coordinate to ensure results, and the President’s Office will monitor overall progress. While the programme is not yet operational, it will commence by the end of this month,” the Deputy Minister said.
He emphasised that the programme relies on public support and cooperation.
“However, the initial plan is still inactive. Unfortunately, some institutions have interpreted the programme in their own way when conducting their operations. Similarly, the media has often mischaracterised anything that causes public inconvenience as part of the Clean Sri Lanka initiative, which is unfair,” he added.
When asked about recent police operations to remove unauthorized modifications from buses and three-wheelers, Abeysinghe clarified:
“That operation was conducted under existing laws. The police intensified traffic enforcement to minimise violations, which they considered their contribution to the programme. While we acknowledge that this caused some inconvenience, the government did not instruct the police to intensify such actions under the Clean Sri Lanka initiative. Our approach encourages public participation, ensuring that law-abiding bus and three-wheeler owners will not face difficulties. This operation was purely an enforcement of existing regulations,” he explained.
Abeysinghe also admitted there were shortcomings in how the programme had been communicated to the public.
“The way the police framed it and how the media reported on it cornered the programme into a narrow perspective. We recognise these communication issues and are working to address them,” he said.
