Although the passing year was aimed at development, our development efforts faced significant challenges due to the unexpected disaster caused by the ‘Ditwah’ cyclone. However, compensating for these impacts, we will transform the upcoming new year into a year of rebuilding the livelihoods of the people affected by the natural disaster and a new chapter in development, stated the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan.
He made these remarks at the Jaffna District Coordination Committee meeting held on Friday evening, 26 December 2025, at the conference hall of the Jaffna District Secretariat.
The meeting commenced with the welcome address by Jaffna District Secretary M. Piiratheepan and was chaired by the Chairman of the District Coordination Committee and Hon. Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, R. Chandrasekar. This was the final coordination committee meeting for the Jaffna District in year 2025.
The meeting extensively discussed the recent natural disaster impacts, as well as the ongoing relief and mitigation measures being undertaken. In addition, constructive discussions took place regarding the utilization of development funds allocated to the district and the progress of projects.
At today’s meeting, three key proposals were presented by the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province.
A request from the Hon. Central Minister to bring the Tellipalai Base Hospital under the administration of the Central Ministry of Health was put forward by the Governor. This matter was discussed at length, and an opinion was also presented regarding attaching only the cancer treatment unit at Tellipalai Base Hospital as a separate unit to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Approval was granted at the meeting for the proposal to newly establish the Vaddukoddai Zonal Education Office.
Approval was also granted at this meeting for the mechanism to carry out sterilization treatment for female dogs, jointly by the Northern Province Local Government Ministry and Provincial Agriculture Ministry, with funding allocation from the Central Ministry of Health.
Hon. Parliamentarians K. Ilankumaran, J. Rajeevan, S. Sritharan, S.Sribavanantharajah, S.Sritharan, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, and Archuna Ramanathan participated in this high-level meeting.
Furthermore, Chairman of Northern Provincial Council C.V.K. Sivagnanam, Hon. Chairmen of Local Authorities, Deputy Chief Secretaries of the Northern Province, Secretaries of Provincial Ministries, and numerous senior government officials including heads of departments from provincial and central ministries attended and graced the event.
