As arrangements to carry out sand distribution through local government bodies in the Northern Province have reached their final stage, the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, instructed the Commissioner of Local Government to immediately introduce a standardized procedure common to all councils.
The progress review meeting of the departments functioning under the ministry of Finance and Planning, Law and Order, Lands, Power, Housing and Construction, Tourism, Local Government, Provincial Administration, Rural Development, Road Development, Motor Traffic and Transport of the Northern Province was held today – on Thursday morning, 23 April 2026 at the Governor’s Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Hon. Governor.
The key guidelines and decisions provided by the Hon. Governor during the discussion are as follows:
New mechanisms are essential to increase revenue for local government bodies and the provincial treasury. In particular, a monitoring mechanism should be introduced to ensure the obtaining of the “Certificate of Conformity.” Institutions conducting business without obtaining this certificate should be identified, and as an initial step, notices should be issued against them. The Commissioner of Local Government must submit a monthly progress report in this regard.
Shop owners who have obtained shops belonging to local government bodies have transferred them to others in violation of regulations. A special committee will be appointed to study and resolve these issues, and appropriate legal action will be taken.
At the same time, the progress achieved in regulating “lunch sheet” (polythene) usage in the Northern Province must be maintained. A special monitoring mechanism should be established for this purpose as well. Additionally, local government bodies should take proactive steps to promote the use of banana leaves.
The Governor paid special attention to public complaints regarding the quality, safety, and insufficiency of playground equipment in children’s parks under the Jaffna Municipal Council. The Municipal Commissioner was instructed to promptly procure and install high-quality equipment in parks with high public usage. Furthermore, it was emphasized that when granting permission for shops and eateries in these parks, a condition prohibiting the use of polythene must be included.
During the meeting, the Secretary of the Provincial Ministry of Local Government noted that the progress of the provincial housing programme is satisfactory. The Commissioner of Local Government highlighted challenges due to staff vacancies and stated that work is being carried out properly under regular budget allocations and “Dithwa” disaster reconstruction funds. The Deputy Chief Secretary – Finance also explained how projects could be efficiently implemented in line with current price increases.
Regarding the tourism sector, it was decided that final decisions on some newly identified projects would be made only after further field inspections. Future plans of the Department of Rural Development and the Department of Provincial Land Commissioner were also discussed in detail.
At the beginning of the discussion, P. Aingaranesan, representing the Tamil National Green Movement, explained the importance of a project to collect data on trees over one hundred years old in the Northern Province. The Honorable Governor instructed local government bodies to provide full cooperation for this project.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, the Secretary to the Governor, the Local Government Ministry Secretary, Deputy Chief Secretaries, the Commissioner of Local Government, Municipal Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners of Local Government, Provincial Directors, and Secretaries of Local Government bodies, among others.
