The government announces that the special state of emergency will not be extended after this month.

The government has decided not to further extend the extraordinary state of emergency enforced in the country after the Ditwa cyclone disaster, beyond this month. Accordingly, these special relief and security measures imposed after the cyclone will conclude.

Addressing the press conference to announce cabinet decisions, Government Media Spokesperson, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the decision to implement this state of emergency was initially made after discussions held with opposition political parties immediately after the Ditwa cyclone first affected the country.

Although some parties attempted to create undue fear among the public by claiming that this state of emergency could be misused, the Minister pointed out that the government took this step solely with the objective of supporting reconstruction and development activities in the areas devastated by the cyclone.

Commenting on the government's commitment to limiting emergency powers, the Minister stated that the government had fulfilled its promise not to cause inconvenience to any citizen, journalist, or media institution. The media spokesperson also emphasized that since this state of emergency was temporary and limited only to disaster recovery efforts, the government has no intention of extending it further.