Innovative administration methods for Colombo

Disna MUDALIGE

The Government will not hesitate to adopt innovative administrative structures and systems to cater to the needs of the present era, said Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

He was responding to a question by a journalist on the administrative rule of the Colombo Municipal Council at a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday.

The Minister observed that the introduction of innovative systems help win the country's emerging challenges.

He pointed out that the Mahaweli Authority was once established to cater to the needs of that period and it had higher powers to take decisions exceeding Urban or Municipal Councils.

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that all decisions pertaining to the administration of Colombo cannot be taken by Municipal Council Authorities since about one million people commute to Colombo daily in addition to the 800,000 people who live in Colombo.

He stressed the need of a systematic national plan for urban development, solid waste management, maintenance of water ways and other related development activities in the Colombo city as well as in other urban cities.

Minister Ranawaka pointed out that the Government did not have much time to pay attention for urban development during the war period since priority was given to the war.

"However we have paid attention now and many projects are being launched to uplift the living conditions of the people living in urban cities," he said.

The Minister also observed that former Egyptian Leader Hosni Mubarak, who was ruling the country since 1981, left the country within 15 days when people started protesting against his leadership.

However the UNP leadership did not vacate his position even though the people were requesting for a leadership change for more than 15 years, he said.