The Sri Lanka Association of Divisional Secretaries and Assistant Divisional Secretaries (SLADA) has formally requested the Secretary to the President to withdraw a directive to appoint “Clean Sri Lanka” coordinators at provincial, district and divisional levels, warning the move could seriously undermine the independence of the public service.
In a letter signed by SLADA President R. Senthil and Secretary R.M. Nuwan C. Hemakumara, the Association objected to a March 20, 2026 instruction from the Secretary to the President directing District Secretaries to appoint coordinators for the Clean Sri Lanka programme and to provide them with office space and support staff inside Divisional Secretariats.
SLADA argued that Sri Lanka already has a long-established administrative framework — running from ministries and departments down to provincial councils, district and divisional secretariats and Grama Niladhari divisions, and overseen by internal audit units, the National Audit Office, and coordination committees at every level — to deliver and monitor government programmes. Specific officers, the Association said, have already been assigned at divisional level to implement Clean Sri Lanka activities through existing community development committees.
The Association expressed concern that appointing separate coordinators at district and divisional levels and attaching public officials to support them could compromise administrative neutrality. Divisional secretariats, SLADA said, are neutral public service institutions that serve all citizens without political, religious or ethnic bias, and their independence must be safeguarded. The Association acknowledged isolated cases of politically influenced conduct by individual officers but described the overall structure as depoliticised and trusted.
SLADA said the current government’s stated policy framework emphasises efficient and impartial public service delivery without interference in the independence of state institutions, and that the proposed coordinator arrangement could raise legal concerns.
Earlier attempts to introduce similar parallel structures, the Association said, had been resisted, and the existing system already allows for effective coordination and review of government programmes including Clean Sri Lanka. The letter urged the President’s Secretary to revoke the decision and indicated the Association would not cooperate with the current arrangement unless its request is addressed.
Source: The Island.
