Thalangama police receive complaint over missing Tamil textbooks

A stock of Grade 1 Tamil language activity books and textbooks belonging to the Ministry of Education was allegedly not delivered as scheduled to 12 distribution centres in the Eastern Province, resulting in a complaint regarding criminal breach of trust, according to the Thalangama police.

The complaint was lodged by the Isurupaya Educational Publications Department.

A total of 19,892 activity books and textbooks worth approximately Rs. 800,000 were missing, according to the complaint made by the Commissioner (Production and Distribution) of the Isurupaya Educational Publications Department, N. W. D. Hiroshi Gunawardena.

Permission was granted on 4 May 2026 to transport the textbook stock issued by the Educational Publications Department located at the Ministry of Education in Isurupaya.

The items were loaded into a lorry registered under number 43-9874, under the custody of its driver, through an agreement with an institution at Samurdhi Mawatha, Siyambalape, Biyagama, for Tasma International, the complaint further states.

The textbooks and activity books were not properly distributed to the 12 centres in the Eastern Province, according to an update provided to the Educational Publications Department on 7 August by Jagath Wanniharachchi, who oversees the Eastern Province for the publishing division of the Education Department.

The complaint was subsequently filed based on this information, a senior police officer states.

Investigations are underway under the instructions of the Officer in Charge of the Thalangama Police, Chief Inspector Nissanka Silva.