President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has urged state officials to actively fulfill their role as the intermediary mechanism ensuring that the benefits of government development projects effectively reach the public.
The President made these remarks while chairing a Special District Coordination Committee (DCC) meeting held at the Ratnapura District Secretariat, which reviewed the progress of district development programmes for 2025 and addressed key implementation challenges.
Emphasizing the efficient use of allocated funds, President Dissanayake warned that returning unutilized budgets to the Treasury not only delays development but also results in resource wastage. He pointed out that repeatedly allocating funds to incomplete projects prevents the initiation of new development initiatives.
Criticizing past practices, the President noted that many government projects had been launched without feasibility studies or long-term maintenance plans. Citing the Hambantota SAARC Cultural Centre and the Anuradhapura Auditorium as examples, he highlighted the difficulty in maintaining such facilities due to the absence of managing institutions.
He suggested that the private sector could play a greater role in operating certain public facilities, such as tourist bungalows, inns, and markets, which currently remain underused.
Disaster Risk Management
The discussion also focused on disaster risks in the Ratnapura District. According to the National Building Research Organization (NBRO), around 15,000 families live in landslide-prone areas, including 2,763 families in high-risk zones.
The President noted that although a “Dry Dam” project involving two tributaries of the Kalu Ganga was proposed in 2014 to mitigate flooding, no feasibility study had yet been conducted. He agreed to allocate funding in the upcoming budget for a new feasibility study on flood prevention in the district.
Social Welfare and Law Enforcement
Other key topics included child protection and drug control. Police officials informed the meeting that a monitoring system has been established with Divisional Secretariats to identify and assist at-risk children. They also reported that daily anti-narcotics operations have contributed to curbing the spread of illegal drugs in the area.
Economic Development and Urban Planning
The President also reviewed plans to establish a gemstone trading centre with a value-addition laboratory in Ratnapura, aimed at strengthening the region’s gem industry. He further instructed officials to make productive use of underutilized land owned by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) near Ratnapura city for commercial and development purposes.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Pradeep Sundaralingam, Sabaragamuwa Province Governor Champa Janaki Rajaratne, and Ratnapura District Secretary K.G.S. Nishantha, along with senior government and provincial officials.
