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No development projects should be carried out without his approval, says Jaffna DDC Co-Chair
View(s):A District Development Committee (DDC) Co-Chair wrote to the District Secretary this week instructing him not to implement any ministerial development programmes or authorised projects without his approval in the district.
Parliamentarian Angajan Ramanathan, who was appointed as Jaffna DDC Co-Chair last week by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the Cabinet swearing in ceremony, wrote to the Jaffna District Secretary on Tuesday.
In the letter, seen by the Sunday Times, Mr Ramanathan requested the details of projects currently under the implementation process in the District’s Divisional Secretariats.
“All projects and development schemes authorised by ministries and departments should be implemented with my co-sponsorship. Do not implement any programmes or projects approved by ministries by dealing with the respective Divisional Secretariats directly without my knowledge or approval,” Mr. Ramanathan said in his letter addressed to Jaffna District Secretary K. Mahesan.
He also requested the District Secretary to allocate a suitable office space in the Jaffna District Secretariat by contacting his father Sathasivam Ramanthan who was appointed as his direct representative and coordinating officer of his DDC office.
Early this week, the Presidential Secretariat issued a directive on facilitating DDC Co-Chairpersons to all the District Secretaries who came under the purview of the President’s Office.
Accordingly, Provincial Governors were also appointed as DDC Co-Chairpersons, along with Parliamentarians from each district, to coordinate, implement and monitor all development activities carried out by State and non-State institutions in the districts.
The circular signed by the President’s Secretary also instructed the District Secretaries to provide necessary administrative and office facilities within the District Secretariat premises, and appoint five experienced development officers and a maximum of five other staff members including management service officers.
“You are further informed that the establishment and administrative matters of the relevant committee will be coordinated by you,” the President’s Secretary said.