Ninth PC in the offing - President

Jayasiri MUNASINGHE

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday asserted that his Government would shortly move towards establishing the ninth Provincial Council.

“When we came into power there were only seven Provincial Councils functioning in the country.

“We have now increased it up to eight. We would establish the ninth Provincial Council shortly,” the President said after he swore in the Chief Ministers for the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces at a ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat.

The President said: “We held the Eastern Provincial Council election and a Chief Minister for the East was elected. Similarly we would set up the Northern Provincial Council shortly.”

“In politics, we have to face diverse criticisms. However much we work, we would become the object of criticism for one single thing we have missed. We need not react against them. We should instead perform our duty according to our conscience,” he said.

The new Cabinet of Ministers of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council.

Mahipala Herath - Chief Minister and Minister of Law and Order, Finance and Planning, Local Government, Education and Information Technology, Cultural Affairs and Sports, Electricity, Housing and Construction, Co-operative, Trade and Food, Passenger Transport and Estate Welfare.

Lalith Dissanayake - Minister of Lands, Irrigation, Agriculture, Animal Production and Animal Health, Environment and Fisheries.

Janaka Wakkumbura - Minister of Road Development, Rural Infrastructure and Tourism.

N. Ranjith de Soysa - Minister of Health, Indigenous Medicine and Women Affairs.

G.M. Karunapala - Minister of Social Welfare, Probation and Childcare, Rural Development and Rural Industries.

New Cabinet of Ministers of the North Central Provincial Council

Berty Premalal Dissanayake - Chief Minister and Minister of Law and Order, Finance and Planning, Economic Development, Engineering and Construction, Machinery, Information, Education, Local Government, Irrigation, Lands, Environment, Transport, Cultural and Tourism and Energy.

K.H. Nandasena - Minister of Agriculture and Animal Production, Animal Health, Fisheries and Provincial Council.

H.B. Semasinghe - Minister of Co-operatives, Trade and Food, Small Industries, Textile Industries and Rural Development.

S.M. Peshala Jayaratne - Minister of Health, Indigenous Medicine, Social Welfare, Probation and Childcare, Sports and Youth Affairs and Women’s Affairs.

R.M. Punchi Banda Ratnayake - Minister of Rural Infrastructure, Road Development and Electricity.