Take immediate steps to expedite the digitalization programme at the village level, strengthening Grama Niladharis.....

The Prime Minister instructs the officials.

The Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Mr. Dinesh Gunawardane, said that as Grama Niladhari is the most prominent official who works in the village representing the government, the Ministry should take immediate measures to strengthen them. At this moment, when the government is focusing on modernizing the public service, the minister instructed the officials to take immediate steps to introduce the digitalization program at the level of the Grama Niladhari divisions and also to implement this programme based on the Kalutara district, where activities are currently being carried out in this regard to a certain extent. The Prime Minister expressed these views during the discussion held with the relevant heads of divisions on the 24th of this month at the Ministry of Public Administration.

Further commenting on this, the Prime Minister mentioned that Divisional Secretaries should be properly vested with the power to carry out the Asvesuma programme more accurately. Also, the Prime Minister mentioned that action should be taken as a ministry going beyond the existing limits to verify whether the stamp duties due to the local government institutions are being received properly. He also stated that a revision should be made to the system applied by 341 local government institutions for the recovery of rates. The relevant officials were instructed to take steps to promptly apply the proposed digitalization programme to local government institutions as well.

Another matter that was brought forward in this discussion was the issue that has arisen when issuing death certificates related to the deaths of Muslim people. The Prime Minister, who paid attention to the complaint that even though the burial of a dead Muslim person should be done within 24 hours of the death, it is hindered due to the delay in issuing the relevant death certificate, looked into this matter and advised the officers to take steps to issue the relevant gazette notification today, as there is no obstacle to carrying out, on the recommendation of the relevant medical officer, the burial of a Muslim who dies while receiving medical treatments under a government doctor due to an illness.

State Minister, Mr. Janaka Wakkumbura, who participated in the discussion, drew attention to the issue of not having an address of their own, which is a major problem affecting the plantation workers. The State Minister proposed to make the necessary arrangements to provide the relevant addresses based on the number allocated to each estate house where they reside, and the Prime Minister gave instructions to the relevant officials to take further action in that regard.

Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Ranjith Ashoka, who was present on the occasion, said that in view of the situation of the country, all public officers should work in such a way as to ensure that every rupee spent is used for a productive purpose.