Public officials have vital role to play - minister

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

Minister W. D. J. Senewiratne

The government needs the assistance of all sectors in the country to carry out its development policies and programmes and public administrative officials have a vital role to play in the country's journey towards development, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W. D. J. Senewiratne said.

"In the current situation, public sector officials, both, individually and collectively have a big challenge to contribute their knowledge and expertise to the country more than at any other time in Sri Lanka's history, towards the realization of the country's development goals," he added.

The minister was addressing a special occasion held at the ministry auditorium to distribute appointment letters to newly appointed Assistant Divisional Secretaries. Eighty eight assistant Divisional Secretaries were appointed to the island wide Divisional Secretariats and 23 among them have been appointed to the Northern Province. A special feature of the ceremony was that most of the newly appointed assistant Divisional Secretaries are females.

The ministry has appointed 292 administrative officers to the Sri Lanka Administrative Service this time which is the highest number of recruits to the administrative sector in Sri Lanka's history. Of the new officials appointed as assistant Divisional Secretaries, a majority of them have been deployed to Divisional Secretariat Offices in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, specially Mannar, Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Trincomalee. "As well qualified new officials, your bounden duty is to ensure that our national developmental policies and programmes is carried out in an efficient manner," the minister said.

"This is a great opportunity to learn as a new administrative officer, to obtain first hand experience in Public Administration, to get good exposure about people and their needs, to learn more on development, to change themselves with people", Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry Additional Secretary (Home Affairs) J. Dadallage said.

Public Administration and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Wijaya Dahanayake, Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) Governing Council chairman and Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry Secretary P. B. Abeykoon, SLIDA Director M.Wijayaratne and Colombo District Secretary H. T.Kamal Pathmasiri also participated.