If you render excellent service to the people, you will surely earn a place in their hearts. They are the ones who evaluate and observe you. I believe your service should be of such a nature that people feel confident that they can receive satisfactory service when they approach you, stated the Governor of the Northern Province, Hon. N. Vethanayahan.
These remarks were made while addressing the ceremony held this Thursday morning, 12 February 2026, at the auditorium of the Northern Province Chief Secretary’s Office, where appointment letters were awarded to 114 newly selected officers to the Management Service of the Northern Provincial Council. The Governor attended the event as the Chief Guest.
In his address, the Governor further stated:
We must look back at the past. There was a time when appointments were made blindly under the slogan “jobs for people” to fill vote banks. Whether there was a need or not, the public sector was inflated for political reasons.
However, times have changed. The present government, under the leadership of His Excellency the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is advancing a new and honest policy of “people for jobs.” That is, only qualified individuals are appointed where there is an actual need.
Last year, despite many challenges, we obtained approval and carried out several recruitments. However, it is a matter of concern that many who were appointed to districts in the Northern Province other than Jaffna refused to assume their duties and left their jobs. This is a very wrong course of action.
You must serve wherever there is a need among the people. Understand firmly that “your job is for the people; the people are not there for your job.”
As Management Service Officers entering public service, you have a very bright future. There are numerous promotion opportunities not available to Development Officers, and many open pathways for advancement in the administrative sector.
If anyone has come here with the mindset that “now that I have secured a government job, I can relax for life and eventually draw a pension,” erase that thought immediately. This is not a place for rest; it is a field for tireless work.
When a member of the public sits before the desk where you will be seated to obtain a service, take a moment to think, “I am the one sitting in that chair.” If a task is delayed or a rightful service is denied, the pain you would feel is the same pain that the poor person who approaches you would feel. Never cause such delay or pain.
There is only one expectation from you as you commence your duties today: provide your services to our people at the highest standard. Never forget that our salaries are paid from the people’s tax money. Let “Service to the people is service to God” be not merely words, but your way of life.
If your quality and prompt service brings a smile to the face of a poor person who seeks your help, that is the highest achievement. Through your excellent service, you should become someone whom department heads specifically request, saying, “We need this officer.”
We will provide you with continuous training to help you perform your duties efficiently. Use those opportunities to develop yourselves and deliver quality service to our people.
We are operating in the Northern Province with thousands of staff shortages. Despite these shortages, we have functioned effectively without allowing even a cent of the funds allocated to our Provincial Council to be returned. This has been possible only due to the dedication of our existing staff. As public servants, you must not look at the clock when serving the people.
At this juncture, I gratefully recall the assistance extended to us in filling the provincial vacancies by Hon. Ministers R. Chandrasekaran and Bimal Ratnayake.
In response to applications called by the Northern Provincial Public Service Commission for Grade III Management Service Officers, 7,510 applications were received. Of them, 5,500 eligible candidates sat for the examination. Based on the examination results, 125 candidates were called for interviews, and 114 qualified candidates were appointed today.
The event was attended by Jaffna District Member of Parliament Hon. J. Rajeevan; on behalf of Jaffna District Coordinating Committee Chairman and Hon. Minister R. Chandrasekaran, the Committee Coordinator S. Kabilan; the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province; Deputy Chief Secretaries; and Secretaries of the Provincial Ministries.
