Northern ministries to Kilinochchi from Sept.

With Provincial Council elections due in the North later this year, authorities have decided to move all its ministries from Trincomalee to Kilinochchi from September 1.


Northern Governor retired Maj-Gen G A Chandrasiri yesterday confirmed that he gave directives to the Northern Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Animal Husbandry to move from the beginning of next month.

The directive was conveyed in writing to Ministry Secretary N Pathmanathan on Friday.
The Governor also said he hoped to have the other vital ministries like Health and Education also in Kilinochchi before the end of the year as their services were urgently required for ongoing development work, especially in Wanni.

As reconstruction work gathered pace in the Wanni, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is personally overseeing such operations, is once again due in the region tomorrow to chair all review meetings.
There is speculation, meanwhile, that Colombo district MP Prabha Ganeshan, who defected to the government from the Democratic People’s Front recently, might be appointed the new northern governor if Maj-Gen Chandrasiri takes up a diplomatic assignment, This, however, could not be independently verified.
Maj-Gen Chandrasiri said people were asking him about the diplomatic posting, but he knew nothing of it.

As a sign of the growing importance of the North, this year’s Government Agents conference is now scheduled to be held in Jaffna on September 6 and 7.

Jaffna GA Imelda Sugumar, who will chair the meeting, is busy making relevant preparations. (RA) (News- Nation)