You can receive an appointment, do no work, remain silent, and simply pass the time; or, you can work with dedication for our people. The choice is yours. A chair is being given to you. Your greatness lies in how you choose to adorn it. The real success of yours lies in elevating the livelihood of our people, stated Hon. N. Vethanayahan, Governor of the Northern Province.
The appointment ceremony for 33 Agricultural Instructors and 20 Livestock Development Instructors under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Northern Province was held today – on Tuesday, 07 April 2026, at the auditorium of the Ministry of Agriculture, under the chairmanship of Ministry Secretary S. Sivasri.
Participating as one of the chief guests and delivering an address, the Governor further stated:
After 2020, government appointments in our country were suspended for various reasons. It was only after the formation of the new government under the leadership of the current HE the President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, that a new mechanism was established under the leadership of Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. When we submitted requests regarding staff vacancies and needs in the province, Hon. Minister R. Chandrasekar and Hon. Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinghe took great efforts to consider them favourably and provide the staff quickly. Above all, Hon. Minister Bimal Rathnayake, who has immense affection for our province and its people, also worked hard for this.
At this point, I must proudly point out one thing. These individuals only obtained the approvals for these appointments; they did not hand over any list of names to me saying “give jobs to those we want.”
These appointments are being granted entirely on the basis of merit through calling for applications by the Provincial Public Service Commission – Northern Province, conducting examinations, and holding interviews, without any political interference. There is no room for anyone’s recommendation here.
Let me give you an example. Recently, during an examination related to an appointment, a politician who held a high position in the previous government contacted me and indirectly tried to exert pressure by saying, “A person I want is sitting this examination.” I replied to him very clearly: “Let him sit; but selections will only be made based on the examination and interview.” It was only because of the firm leadership of His Excellency the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that I was able to give such a reply. After that, he did not say anything further. I mentioned this only to show how the mindset of traditional politicians was, and how clean the structure of the current government is. I strongly emphasize that these appointments were granted by officials independently, without any political interference.
Agriculture and livestock development are closely interlinked. If we are to bring about a change in the living standards of the people who depend on them, it is possible only if you set your mind to it. You should not do this work merely as a duty for a monthly salary, but perform it with heartfelt love. Only then will you receive its full benefit.
I would like to share with you an excellent example of where the real success of a government officer lies. Last year, I visited Iranai Iluppaikulam village, located on the border of Mannar District. There, I observed the farm of a farmer engaged in the production of true seeds of big onions. It is a highly profitable crop. During that visit, the Agricultural Instructor of that area told me, “The farmers here are very enthusiastic about this crop. But the problem is with the investment. If financial assistance is received through the Provincial Council, they will achieve great success.” I immediately instructed him to submit a project proposal. He and the District Deputy Director of Agriculture acted very quickly; funds were allocated for it, including for the agricultural wells that were needed. At the end of last month, the harvest of those farmers took place. They had recorded a tremendous success.
One sentence those farmers told me there was: “Please do not transfer this Agricultural Instructor from here. It is because of him that we have achieved this much success today.” This is the real wealth that a government officer can earn! The inner satisfaction this gives cannot be obtained no matter how much money you earn.
The current global situation and climate changes are teaching us many new lessons. We must stand on our own feet in food production. At the same time, to face the current climate changes, we must move from our traditional farming methods to modern methods. Our farmers mostly rely on traditional methods. It is your great responsibility to explain to them the necessity of modern agricultural methods, make them understand it, and familiarise them with those technologies. You must become the bridge that takes the technologies sleeping in laboratories to the farmers’ fields.
While talking about agriculture, we cannot look at livestock development in isolation. You must teach farmers the integrated farming system, where agricultural waste is used as feed for livestock and livestock waste is used as natural fertilizer for agricultural lands. This will reduce their production costs and increase profits. In our childhood, we learned that “the earthworm is the farmer’s friend.” You, the Agricultural Instructors, are another true and close friend of the farmer.
Most farmers are also livestock rearers. Last year, due to an unexpected natural disaster, many livestock in our Northern Province died. However, because many livestock farmers had not properly registered their animals, they were unable to receive appropriate compensation. They lost their livelihood and suffered without compensation. Therefore, it is the primary duty of Livestock Development Instructors to raise awareness among livestock farmers, guide them to register their animals, and encourage them to obtain livestock insurance. In addition, you must guide them not to stop at mere milk production, but to convert it into value-added products,” the Governor said.
At this event, Hon. Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources R. Chandrasekhar, Hon. Deputy Minister of Cooperative Development Upali Samarasinghe, Northern Province Chief Secretary Mrs. Thanuja Murugeson, Secretary to the Governor of the Northern Province S. Sathiyaseelan, Provincial Directors and Deputy Directors of Agriculture and Livestock of the Northern Province, the newly appointed officers and their parents, among many others, participated.
Hon. Minister R. Chandrasekhar and Hon. Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinghe, who participated as chief guests, also expressed detailed views on these appointments and the government’s long-term vision, and provided valuable advice to the new appointees.
