Charges against Divisional Secys top complaints list

Ridma Dissanayake

The Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry received over 400 complaints against the District Secretariat and Divisional Secretariat Offices last year, Minister W D J Seneviratne said. He said the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry received 425 complaints, a majority of them against Divisional Secretaries.

Two hundred and nine complaints have been made against Divisional Secretaries for not paying attention

to public grievances. The ministry's Investigation Unit established to investigate the anomalies in the public service carried out the investigation. Disciplinary action has been taken against the offenders, Minister Seneviratne said.

One hundred and forty five complaints were lodged against Grama Sewa Niladharis. The complaints have been divided in to two categories on the basis of the position of the complainant and the nature of the complaint. One hundred and fifty four complaints have been received against the abuse of power and 101 complaints against harassing the public, the minister said.

He said a majority of complaints have been received from Anuradhapura, Badulla and Colombo districts.

"The Investigation Unit issued charge sheets against 18 persons and explanations have been called from 16. Nine persons have been transferred and 75 complaints have been compounded. The Investigation Unit of the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry have also come to the conclusion that 178 complaints were falsely made," the minister said. Seneviatne said he issued instructions to establish investigation units in each and every District Secretariat Office and to conduct investigations through the newly recruited graduates.

Minister Seneviratne said the supervision introduced at Divisional Secretariat Offices will be in operation continuously for the benefit of the public. The public can complain about any laxity in service at Divisional or District Secretariat Offices on 1905.

The Investigations and Operations Unit Senior Assistant Secretary T N Hettiarachchi requested the public to offer their support towards an efficient and effective state service in Sri Lanka.