President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the Government plans to allocate a dedicated contingency fund for every district under the next Budget, enabling District Secretaries to undertake urgent repairs to roads, bridges and public buildings without waiting for approval from the Central Government.
The President made the announcement while addressing the District Secretaries’ Conference held at the Colombo District Secretariat on Thursday (09), where he stressed that meeting the basic needs of the public remains the Government’s top priority.
He said the proposed funds would allow District Secretaries to implement urgent projects identified at District Coordination Committee meetings more efficiently.
The President also said the Government plans to resettle 13,000 war-displaced families next year and expedite solutions to long-standing housing issues affecting displaced communities.
He instructed officials to prevent resettlement in areas identified as vulnerable to floods and landslides and not to approve electricity, water or other utility connections for such high-risk locations.
During the meeting, President Dissanayake also reviewed progress on establishing a statutory authority to manage environmentally sensitive land in the Central Hills, noting that the relevant draft legislation has already been prepared and that the authority is expected to begin operations next year.
He further announced plans to identify and revive genuinely needed but abandoned housing projects, while reaffirming the Government’s commitment to comprehensive public sector reforms, including the closure of non-productive institutions to improve the efficiency of the public service.
The conference reviewed district development projects, public service delivery, coordination among government institutions and measures to address district-level issues. (Newswire)