Hon. N. Vethanayahan, Governor of Northern Province emphasized that all local authorities must to identify people dumping waste in public places by CCTV cameras and impose fines on them. These actions are essential to prevent public littering and ensure a clean environment.
The Governor gave these directions while chairing the monthly progress review meeting today (06.10.2026, Tuesday) at the Governor’s Secretariat, which covered the Ministries of Northern Provincial Finance & Planning, Law & Order, Land, Power, Housing & Construction, Tourism, Local Government, Provincial Administration, Rural Development, Road Development, and Motor Traffic & Transport, as well as the departments and institutions operated under this.
Totally, 852 projects costing 6,955 million are currently underway under this Ministry and its departments including the Dept. of Local Government, Road Development Department, Department of the Provincial Land Commissioner, Department of Rural Development, Department of Motor Traffic, Northern Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority, and Northern Province Tourism Bureau.
At the beginning of the meeting, the progress of issues discussed at the previous meeting was reviewed in detail.
The Governor emphasized that local authorities must identify key littering spots in their areas, install CCTV cameras, and focus more on fining those who violate regulations.
He specifically commended the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha for monitoring illegal dumpers through CCTV and taking action. He highlighted their notable progress, pointing out that approximately 0.8 million has been collected in fines so far.
He urged other local authorities to adopt similar practices to control irresponsible waste dumping in public spaces.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Local Government explained the upcoming projects for future waste management in the province. He noted that measures are being taken to sort waste and implement proper management through various projects.
Clear instructions have been issued to all local authorities to accept waste only after it has been properly separated, in line with their standard bylaws.
It was also stated at the meeting that activities of desilting ponds and cleaning drainages are carried out by all local authorities. Notably, 28,000 m3 of silt has been cleared from the Kantharodai Tank.
The meeting also focused on the steps being taken to make the Certificate of Conformity mandatory from 2027 for buildings constructed through government institutions. The Local Government Commissioner noted that commercial expansions made after obtaining COCs in Jaffna city areas have been identified, and follow-up actions will be taken.
Furthermore, it was decided to request the Ceylon Electricity Board through the Governor not to issue power connections to buildings without a Certificate of Conformity.
The removal of unauthorized street stalls and billboards initiated by certain local authorities was also reviewed. The Governor directed the Local Government Commissioner and the Commissioner of Municipal Council to immediately begin these operations within the Jaffna Municipal Council limits, especially in the central city area.
The Governor stated that local authorities cannot pass council resolutions refusing to execute projects funded by state funds. He emphasized that regardless of the funding source, local authorities are responsible for developing the areas under their jurisdiction and must not mix politics with development work.
Attention was also drawn to delays in releasing funds for completed Local Government Department projects due to delays in receiving inspection reports. The Governor issued guidelines to resolve this issue quickly.
To speed up the process of transferring relevant land to local authorities, a decision was made to conduct a mobile service.
The delay in acquiring bitumen for road development work was also reviewed. They discussed the possibility of supplying bitumen through the Provincial Council in future contracts.
Additionally, extending the service time of buses depart lastly from prime cities in the Northern Province by one hour was discussed. It was decided to hold further discussions through the Northern Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority to implement this measure.
Further, to motivate well-performed local authorities, the possibility of allocating additional funds to them was also discussed.
The monthly progress review meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Secretary to the Governor, Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Deputy Chief Secretaries, Commissioners of Municipal Councils, Provincial Land Commissioner, Asst. Commissioners of the Local Government, Provincial Directors, Secretaries of Urban Councils, Secretaries of Local Authority, District Engineers, and other key officials.
