President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced that the Government will allocate a separate contingency fund for every district under the forthcoming Budget, enabling District Secretaries to carry out urgent repairs to bridges, roads and public buildings without having to seek approval from the Central Government.
Speaking at the District Secretaries’ Conference held on Wednesday (09) at the Colombo District Secretariat, the President said the new funding mechanism would allow District Secretaries to promptly address priority issues identified at District Coordination Committee meetings. He stressed that meeting the basic needs of the public without delay remains the Government’s foremost priority.
According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the conference was convened to strengthen coordination among Government institutions, improve the delivery of public services, and promote district-level economic development by identifying local issues and implementing practical solutions.
Discussions reviewed the progress of district development projects, examined ways to improve coordination between ministries and Government agencies, and focused on assigning responsibilities and follow-up actions to ensure effective implementation.
The President also instructed Divisional Secretaries to prevent resettlement in areas identified as high-risk due to natural disasters and to refrain from approving basic utility services, including electricity and water, for such locations in the interest of public safety.
During the meeting, President Dissanayake reviewed progress on establishing a statutory authority to manage environmentally sensitive land in the Central Hills. The PMD said draft legislation has already been prepared, with the new authority expected to begin operations next year.
Addressing post-war resettlement, the President said resolving housing issues faced by war-displaced communities remains a Government priority, with plans to resettle 13,000 displaced families during the coming year. He also emphasised the need for a systematic programme to relocate people living in flood- and landslide-prone areas to safer housing.
The President noted that several housing projects initiated without proper planning, often due to political considerations, had been abandoned midway. He said the Government would conduct a rapid survey to identify projects that genuinely meet public needs and introduce a housing assistance programme to provide financial support for completing those homes.
He further stressed that all future housing and construction projects should be carried out under a proper planning framework, noting that unplanned development has created numerous challenges in the Southern Province. He added that future development in the Northern and Eastern Provinces should also follow a systematic and sustainable development plan.
President Dissanayake said the Government is working to release privately owned land currently occupied by military camps while also making other large land areas available for investment. He stressed that land allocated for cultivation must be managed in a way that protects forest reserves and wildlife conservation zones.
Reaffirming the need for comprehensive public sector reforms, the President said the Government intends to abolish non-productive institutions to improve the efficiency of the public service. He added that vacancies in essential sectors such as health and education are already being filled, while urgent steps are also being taken to recruit staff to the Department of the Government Analyst to reduce delays in issuing forensic reports, which have contributed to prison overcrowding.
The conference was attended by Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Professor Chandana Abeyratne, Deputy Minister Ruwan Senarath, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Chief of Presidential Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Aloka Bandara, ministry secretaries, district secretaries, heads of departments and other senior Government officials.