Ministry of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera formally tendered his resignation on Friday (29) in the wake of a high-profile Supreme Court ruling against him, although ministry officials dismissed speculation that the resignation was linked to the verdict. A senior official attached to the Ministry of Transport, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Sunday Morning that Perera had stepped down for personal reasons and not as a result of the court ruling.

“He had planned to submit his resignation due to a separate academic program in the US, where he had planned an eight-month stint. This had already been communicated and is entirely a personal matter. There is no connection to the Supreme Court ruling. He is an academic and he did not wish to abandon his academic commitments,” the official claimed. The departure has raised questions over the immediate future of the ministry’s administrative leadership. The official clarified that Prof. Perera intended to return to Sri Lanka after completing his academic program

“He will be coming back after eight months, but you cannot leave the position of secretary vacant for that entire period. Therefore, he submitted his resignation, but he may return and rejoin as secretary again. Until he returns, or a permanent decision is made, we will have to appoint an acting secretary. As of now, there is no decision as to who will assume the role,” the official added.