Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala has announced that long-overdue promotions for police officers — which have not been granted for over five years — are now being expedited.
The minister made the remarks on Sunday during a special discussion convened to review issues faced by police officers in the Puttalam District and the security situation in the area.
He also outlined steps the government is taking to develop the police service into a more professional, higher-quality institution, including a significant allocation of funds for the development of infrastructure at police stations.
Wijepala further stated that the recruitment of 10,000 new officers is currently under way as a solution to the manpower shortage within the service. The Sri Lanka Police Service has been grappling with a shortfall reported earlier this year at close to 40,000 personnel.
The promotions backlog has been a long-standing grievance within the force, with thousands of officers stalled at their existing ranks far beyond the normal cycle. In September 2025, a group of 170 inspectors and chief inspectors filed Supreme Court fundamental rights petitions challenging the promotion process for Assistant Superintendents of Police.
The announcement comes weeks after the IGP banned the acceptance of gifts and cancelled relief days over the New Year period, part of a broader push by the police leadership and the Public Security Ministry to tighten internal discipline while addressing service-wide welfare grievances.
Sources: Ada Derana
