COLOMBO, August 27: Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Cabinet regarding the India-funded Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) programme, after a petition alleged violations of fundamental rights.
The petition was filed by former minister Wimal Weerawansa, who argued that the government’s decision to move ahead with the project lacked transparency and bypassed parliamentary and public scrutiny.
During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo in April, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share India’s digital infrastructure expertise and support Sri Lanka’s digital transformation efforts.
The Court has sought responses from the government, while hearings are expected in the coming weeks.