Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, stated that development work programs for the year 2026 should be completed as quickly as possible, and that necessary steps have already been taken to secure the required cooperation from technical personnel for this purpose.
The progress review meeting for this year’s action plans of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Law and Order, Land, Electricity, Housing and Construction, Tourism, Local Government, Provincial Administration, Rural Development, Road Development, Motor Traffic, and Transport was held this morning – on Wednesday 04 March 2026, at the Governor’s Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Governor.
At the beginning of this discussion, the Governor noted that this was the first ministry-wise progress review meeting for this year and extended his appreciation to the officials for the excellent implementation of last year’s development programs.
Continuing his address, the Governor stated: “This year, we must carry out work plans through various funding sources, including the Provincial Council’s regular funds, ‘DITWA’ disaster relief funds, funds from central line ministries, district secretariat funds, local authorities funds, and stamp duty revenue funds. All necessary cooperation will be provided for this. Given the favorable conditions we currently have, it is easier to start work swiftly. Therefore, officials must ensure the completion of projects within the stipulated timeframes while also guaranteeing their high quality.”
The Governor paid special attention to the revenue losses incurred by local authorities due to businesses operating without registration certificates. “Due to the failure to collect appropriate taxes citing the lack of registration certificates, the authorities suffer significant financial losses. I have advised multiple times to rectify this. A swift solution must be found for this issue. At the very least, strictly enforce this for buildings constructed after 2010,” the Governor instructed.
Furthermore, he directed that the street dog controlling program implemented last year be continued this year as well. He commended the local authorities for their excellent performance in controlling lunch-sheet usage and requested that it be strictly followed going forward. He also stated that all local authorities must mandatorily comply with the guidelines issued by the Provincial Local Government Commissioner regarding loudspeaker advertising services in urban areas, and that tree-planting programs should be continuously promoted.
Subsequently, sector-wise progress reviews were conducted for each department under the ministry. Officials reported that quotations for the 2026 work programs are currently being requested.
During the open discussion that followed, it was pointed out that when district secretariats select roads belonging to local authorities for rehabilitation, no consultations are held with the local authorities. It was brought to the Governor’s attention that contradictions arise when district secretariats arbitrarily decide to rehabilitate the same roads under another program, even though the local authorities have already decided to rehabilitate them using their own funds or under other programs. Additionally, it was highlighted that varying administrative expenses are provided for work implementation in each district by the district secretariats. The Governor assured that these matters would be specially discussed with the District Secretaries and appropriate solutions will be provided.
The progress review meeting was attended by several senior officials, including the Secretary to the Governor of the Northern Province, the Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Local Government, Deputy Chief Secretaries, the Provincial Commissoiner of Local Government , Provincial Directors, Commissioners of Municipal Councils, Assistant Commissioners of Local Government, Secretaries of local authorities, and engineers.
