The Home Affairs Ministry had planned to establish 14,000 Nila Sevana offices covering all Grama Niladari Divisions by 2020, Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said.
He was speaking at a ceremony to award appointment letters to newly-recruited Grama Niladharis and Administrative Grama Niladharis yesterday, at Temple Trees.
With the establishment of Nila Sevana offices, Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi officers and agricultural officers were able to fulfil their duties in one place to provide better services to the public.
“With the construction of the Nila Sevana offices, we will be able to issue copies of titles, deeds, birth certificates, death certificates and other required documents to the public within a day,” the minister said.
“As directed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the ministry will take measures to network all these offices, divisional secretariats and district secretariats, and the Home Affairs Ministry will provide an efficient service to the public,” he added.
“The Premier has also directed us to increase the number of divisional secretariats located in the country from 332 to 365 by 2020,” Minister Abeywardena said.
“Public Administration and Law and Order Minister Ranjith Maddumabandara said that the government had treated public servants in the best way possible by strengthening them economically,” the minister added.
“Unlike in the past, now they can work independently. But they have not yet been given freedom to work beyond government’s policies and orders; they only have the right to do their duties independently,” Minister Abeywardena said.