25% of NE Provincial Council vacancies not filled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 September 2004, 10:43 GMT]
More than one-fourth, about 18,666 vacancies are not filled in the the North East Provincial Council (NEPC), which administers eight districts of the province, Jaffna Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. Out of 60,034 officially approved positions in 2000 only 41,368 have been filled, sources said.

The NEPC came into existence in 1989 with the passage of 13th Amendment to the Constitution following the signing of Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Agreement in 1987. This paved the way for the introduction of Provincial Council system in the island to find a political resolution to the Tamil National Question through devolution of power.

But except in NE, all other provinces in Sri Lanka are run by elected provicincial council. The elected administration of the NEPC was dissolved in 1989 one year after its formation by President R.Premadasa. Since then the NEPC is being administrated by the Central Government through a Governor appointed by the Executive President.

Currently a retired army officer Major General Asoka Jayawardene at the helm of the NEPC administration.

Mr.Thurairatnesingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian in a letter to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge gave the details of the shortage of personnel existing in the NEPC.

Only 15 (Sri Lanka Administrative Services) SLAS officers are working in the NEPC, against the approved cadre of 111. 65 SLEng.S (Sri Lanka Engineer Service) officers against 107, 126 Sri Lanka Educational Administrative Service (SLEAS) officers against 446 and 47 Sri Lanka Accountants Service (SLAcc.S) against 86.

In the health sector 5255 positions have not been filled outof 9138.

In the education sector about 3000 teacher vacancies exist against total positions of 27,214. 629 Principal posts are still vacant among 1803 posts.

Every department in the NEPC functions with acute shortage of staff against the approved cadre, Mr.Thurairatnesingham has pointed out.