The National Awards Committee has decided to present the National Award for Public Service to 66 individuals.

The President's Office stated today that the awards are scheduled to be presented at the official ceremony held on the occasion of this year's Independence Day.

"The recipients of the National Award for Public Service at this ceremony are those who have served the state for more than 41 years but have not received the award so far. The President decided to present the award to them, and after the President's Office obtained their records and forwarded them to the National Awards Committee, the committee reviewed the information, met with them, and selected those who met the eligibility criteria," the President's Office said.

The President's Office said that the award has already been presented to individuals who have served for more than 42 years, after the President forwarded their names to the National Awards Committee.

When nominations for this year's National Award for Public Service were opened to the public, a total of 130 applications were submitted by the deadline on June 11th.

The official ceremony to mark Independence Day will be held this time at 09:00 AM on Independence Day at the Youth Centre hall.

During the ceremony, the President will address the nation.