NCP's first lady assumes duties as SPC Governor

D. C. de Silva, Kahawa special correspondent

GALLE: Kumari Balasooriya on Friday assumed duties, as the sixth governor of the Southern Province at the Galle Governor's Secretariat amidst a large gathering. She is the wife of NCP governor Jagath Balasooriya, and the Secretary of the SLFP women's organisation for a long period.

SPC Chief Minister (CM) Shan Wijayalal de Silva welcoming the new governor, Kumari Balasooriya said that, she had the flare, authority and the gumption to discharge her duties, through experience gained as the coordinator of the NCP governor working with her governor husband Jagath Balasooriya for a long period."

"She is the chief executive of the province from now on, and the sixth in line of SPC governors, after Al-haj Bakeer Markar, M. L. de Silva, Ananda Dasaanayake, Neville Kanakaratna and Kingsley T. Wickramaratne," the C. M. pointed out. "President Mahinda Rajapaksa by appointing Kumari Balasooriya as the SPC governor, achieved another land mark in the history of the South, as the first ever woman governor from the South, in a country where the first woman prime minister of the world, late Sirimavo Bandaranaike who too was produced", the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister said the service by the former governor, Kingsley T. Wickramaratne was remarkable, and he was an all-time teacher to the SPC."

Former governor, Kingsley T. Wickramaratna said the governor Secretariat staff was well improved to ease the function of the governor.

South is well equipped with a talented workforce, and must take fullest use of them, he said. "You all must render your unstinted support to the new governor as before", he told the secretariat staff.

Per capita income in the South has gone up by 20 percent", he said. Srilal Wickramasinghe NCP PC member speaking on behalf of the North Central Provincial Council said, Kumari Balasooriya was born in Gampaha and married from Kegalle and becoming the governor of the South was a unique achievement."

"Kumari gives leadership to SLFP woman organisation and that paved the way for her to be the present capacity as the first woman governor of the South" he said.

Kumari Balasooriya said, "President Mahinda Rajapaksa under, Mahinda Chintana concept appointing me as a governor, was, paying gratitude towards, the entire woman population of Sri Lanka." "Ruhuna, flourishing since 263 B.C. was the native place of king Dutugemunu, the elder son of Viharamaha Devi", she said.

"Poverty alleviation, unemployment and government protection are the main issues I aimed at", she said.