News
DDCC heads to be briefed on their role in development
View(s):The President and the Prime Minister will meet the newly appointed co-chairpersons of District Development Coordination Committees tomorrow to explain to them their powers and responsibilities in carrying out the Government’s development programmes.
Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said 54 parliamentarians who were appointed to the posts earlier this month would be briefed on the programme, for which the Government had allocated Rs. 21,000 million in this year’s budget.
The programme that promotes a bottom-up people-based approach to development covers all 14,000 Grama Niladhari divisions in the country.
Home Affairs Ministry Secretary J.J. Rathnasiri told the Sunday Times a concept paper was being discussed with all relevant stakeholders with a view to giving more powers to the committees.
A District Development Coordination Committee of a district will have upto four co-chairpersons. The province’s chief minister also serves as co-chairperson of DDCCs within the province, while the district secretary serves as the secretary of the DDCC.
Currently the DDCCs are functioning as a coordinating mechanism with the power to advise the central government and the provincial government on development programmes in the district.
The newly appointed co-chairpersons of District Development Coordination Committees are:
- Colombo: Susil Premajayantha (UPFA ) and Mujibur Rahuman (UNP).
- Gampha: Sudarshini Fernandopulle (UPFA) and Ajith Mannaperuma (UNP)
- Kalutara: Mahinda Samarasinghe (UPFA) and Lakshman Wijemanne (UNP)
- Kandy: S.B. Dissanayake (UPFA), Lakshman Kiriella (UNP) and Lucky Jayawardena (UNP)
- Matale: Janaka Bandara Tennakoon (UPFA) and Ranjith Aluvihare (UNP)
- Nuwara Eliya: Arumugan Thondaman (UPFA) and K.K. Piyadasa (UPFA)
- Galle: Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe (UPFA) and Wijepala Hettiarachchi (UNP)
- Matara: Chandrasiri Gajadeera (UPFA) and Buddhika Pathirana (UNP)
- Hambantota: Dilip Weddaarachchi ( UNP) and Chamal Rajapaksa ( UPFA)
- Jaffna/Killinochchi: Wijeyakala Maheswaran (UNP) and Angajan Ramanatthan ( UPFA)
- Jaffna: Mavai S Senathirajah (TNA)
- Killinochchi: S. Shritharan (TNA)
- Mullaithivu/Vavuniya/Mannar: Rishard Bathiudeen (UNP) and Kader Kader Masthan (UPFA)
- Mullaithivu: S.Sivamohan (TNA)
- Vavuniya: Selvam Adaikkalanathan (TNA)
- Mannar: Charles Nirmalanathan (TNA)
- Batticloa: M.L.A.M Hisbullah (UPFA), Ameer Ali Shihabdeen (UNP) and G Srineshan (TNA)
- Ampara: Daya Gamage (UNP), Sriyani Wijewickrama (UPFA), M.I.M Mansoor (UNP), K Kodeeswaran (TNA)
- Trincomalee: R Sampanthan (ITAK), Susantha Punchinillame (UPFA), Abdullah Maharoof (UNP)
- Kurunegala: Anura Priyadarshana Yapa (UPFA) and J.C. Alawathuwala (UNP)
- Puttalam: Priyankara Jayarathne (UPFA) and Hector Appuhami (UNP)
- Anuradhapura: Duminda Dissanayake (UPFA) and Chandima Gamage (UNP)
- Polonnaruwa: Wasantha Senanayake (UNP) and Sidney Jayaratne (UNP)
- Badulla: Nimal Siripala de Silva (UPFA) and Chaminda Wijesiri (UNP)
- Monaragala: Sumeda Jayasena (UPFA) and Ananda Kumarasiri (UNP)
- Ratnapura: Pavithradevi Wanniarachi (UPFA) and A.A Wijethunga (UNP)
- Kegalle: Ranjith Siyambalapitiya (UPFA) and Sujith Sanjaya Perera (UNP)