Maldivians to study administration system

Shirley WIJESINGHE

A delegation from the Maldives led by its Home Affairs Minister Mohomed Shihab is in Sri Lanka to study the local administration system in Sri Lanka on an invitation of Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon.

This will further enhance cooperation among SAARC countries, said Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardane

He was speaking at the opening of an inaugural session of a special three day workshop held at the Local Government and Provincial Councils auditorium yesterday.

As both countries have close geographical and historical linkage this workshop will be more useful to them to share our experiences and adopt an appropriate local government system in their country, he added.

Recalling past events that the Sri Lanka government had extended its support to compose the national anthem of the Maldives, Minister Gunawardane assured that Sri Lanka is ready to extend its fullest cooperation to share experiences in other sectors too.

Explaining the Local Government system and functions of the Ministry, Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry Additional Secretary D.P. Hettiarachchi said that the local government system had been subject to drastic changes under the colonial set up. In the latter part of the 19th century the municipal councils were established in Colombo, Kandy and Galle.

Subsequently Urban Councils for middle scale towns, Town Councils for small scale towns and Village Councils for rural villages were introduced, Hettiarachchi said.

All 330 local authorities including 18 Municipal Councils, 42 Urban Councils and 270 Pradeshiya Sabhas are governed by Councils that are with democratically elected representatives of the people. The local government election will be held every four years, he further said.

He said that all local authorities are assigned powers, functions and duties by governing legislations. They are charged with the regulation, control and administration of all matters relating to the public health, public utility and public thoroughfares and with the protection and promotion of the comfort, convenience and welfare in their respective areas.

He said that the Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry is the apex body for all decentralized administrative units of the country.