# Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs is the central government ministry of Sri Lanka responsible for internal affairs, development of Wayamba and culture. The ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on internal affairs, Waymba development and cultural affairs and other subjects which come under its purview. The current Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs are S. B. Nawinne and Palitha Thewarapperuma respectively. The ministry's secretary is D. Swarnapala.

## Ministers

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs is a member of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.
Ministers of Culture :
| Name | Party | Took office | Left office | Head of government | Ministerial title |
| Jayaweera Kuruppu | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | | | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike | Minister of Local Government and Cultural Affairs |
| P. B. G. Kalugalla | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 9 June 1959 | | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike | Minister of Cultural Affairs and Social Services |
| P. B. G. Kalugalla | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | | 8 December 1959 | W. Dahanayake | Minister of Cultural Affairs and Social Services |
| Bernard Aluwihare | United National Party | 23 March 1960 | 1960 | Dudley Senanayake | Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs |
| Maithripala Senanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 July 1960 | | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | Minister of Industries, Home and Cultural Affairs |
| P. B. G. Kalugalla | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 28 May 1963 | | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs |
| I. M. R. A. Iriyagolla | United National Party | March 1965 | | Dudley Senanayake | Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs |
| T. B. Tennekoon | | | | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | Minister of Cultural Affairs |
| E. L. B. Hurulle | United National Party | 23 July 1977 | | J. R. Jayewardene | Minister of Cultural Affairs |
| W. J. M. Lokubandara | United National Party | 18 February 1989 | 28 March 1990 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Education, Cultural Affairs and Information |
| W. J. M. Lokubandara | United National Party | 30 March 1990 | | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Cultural Affairs and Information |
| W. J. M. Lokubandara | United National Party | | August 1993 | D. B. Wijetunga | Minister of Cultural Affairs and Information |
| Lakshman Jayakody | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 19 August 1994 | | D. B. Wijetunga | Minister of Cultural and Religious Affairs |
| Monty Gopallawa | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 19 October 2000 | | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Cultural Affairs |
| Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 25 July 2005 | | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage |
| Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 28 January 2007 | | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Minister of Cultural Affairs |
| Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 April 2010 | | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Minister of National Heritage and Cultural Affairs |
| T. B. Ekanayake | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 November 2010 | | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Minister of Culture and the Arts |
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | United National Party | 12 January 2015 | 17 August 2015 | Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of Policy Planning, Economics Affairs, Child, Youth and Cultural Affairs |
| S. B. Nawinne | United National Party | 4 September 2015 | | Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs |

## Secretaries

Culture Secretaries :
| Name | Took office | Title |
| Wimal Rubasinghe | 25 April 2010 | National Heritage and Cultural Affairs Secretary |
| Wimal Rubasinghe | 22 November 2010 | Culture and the Arts Secretary |
| K. Liyanage | 19 January 2015 | Policy Planning, Economic Affairs, Child, Youth and Cultural Affairs Secretary |
| D. Swarnapala | 8 September 2015 | Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Secretary |