Hon. N. Vethanayahan, Governor of the Northern Province, appealed to all stakeholders to unite and cooperate in rebuilding the lives of people affected by the disaster in the coming year, not only restoring normalcy swiftly as was done earlier, but also uplifting their standard of living to a level far superior to what it was before.
He made these remarks at the Kilinochchi District Coordinating Committee meeting held this morning – on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, at the Capacity Development Auditorium of the Kilinochchi District Secretariat.
The meeting commenced with the welcome address by Kilinochchi District Secretary S. Muralitharan and was chaired by the Chairman of the Coordinating Committee – Hon. Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, R. Chandrasekhar.
In his opening remarks, the Minister stated:
“This is the final District Coordinating Committee meeting for Kilinochchi District for this year. Today’s meeting will primarily focus on the recent disaster impacts and the solutions thereto. In addition, we will hold extensive discussions on the utilization of development funds allocated to the district and the progress achieved.”
Addressing the meeting thereafter, the Co-Chairman and Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, said:
“As the year 2025 draws to a close, an unexpected and major natural disaster has struck us. This disaster caused by Cyclone ‘Ditwah’ has resulted not only in loss of lives but also in extensive damage to property.
In restoring the normal lives of our affected people, our officials worked with dedication, transcending central and provincial differences. With the same spirit, we must move forward at full scale next year with the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. At the same time, everyone must cooperate to transform the quality of life of the people to a level higher than before,” he emphasized. He also expressed his gratitude to all those who extended assistance during the time of crisis.
The impacts caused by Cyclone Ditwah and the relief measures undertaken were reviewed in detail. In particular, attention was drawn to the view that illegal encroachments in certain areas were a major cause of infrastructure damage, and this issue was discussed at length.
The progress of projects implemented by the District Secretariat, as well as development activities carried out by central and provincial departments, was reviewed. Approval for new projects was also requested and submitted at the meeting.
Special attention was given to the issue of illegal sand mining. In this regard, key data were presented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Kilinochchi Region, and mechanisms to prevent such activities were discussed.
Hon. Members of Parliament S. Sritharan, K. Ilankumaran, J. Rajeevan, the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Secretaries of Northern Provincial Ministries, heads of provincial and central government departments, Chairmen of local government bodies, and numerous government officials participated in the meeting.
