Although the Presidential Secretariat has directed that ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme coordinators be facilitated at the Provincial, District, and Divisional levels, Divisional Secretaries (DSs) have not acted on these instructions, maintaining that such arrangements could harm the independence of the State administrative structure.

This has come to light in a letter sent by the Sri Lanka Association of DSs and Assistant DSs to the Presidential Secretariat, in response to an earlier directive dated 20 March (PS/CSL/01/02), which had instructed District Secretaries and DSs to appoint coordinators and provide necessary support through Divisional Secretariats. In their response, the Association pointed out that Sri Lanka already has a long-established administrative mechanism within the public service, spanning Ministries, Departments, Provincial Councils, District Secretariats, and Divisional Secretariats, down to the grassroots level. 

They added that this system includes internal audit units, national audit mechanisms, Provincial and District coordination committees, and other institutional structures that are already tasked with the monitoring, coordination, and implementation of Government programmes. The Association further stated that the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, which has been identified as a key Government initiative, can be implemented effectively through these existing structures without creating parallel coordination mechanisms.

However, the Presidential Secretariat’s earlier communication had indicated that coordinators had already been appointed at the District and Divisional levels and instructed that they be provided office space and administrative support, including a Management Service Officer or a Development Officer within Divisional Secretariats.

Rejecting this, the Association has stated that Divisional Secretariats are institutions that serve the public without political, ethnic, or religious bias, and have historically functioned as neutral administrative bodies. They further claimed that introducing externally appointed coordinators, particularly those with political links, into Divisional Secretariats, risks undermining the independence of the public service and disrupting established administrative processes. The letter also noted that similar attempts had been made in the past but were resisted in order to safeguard the integrity and neutrality of State institutions, which have earned public trust over time.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (30), the Association's President R. Senthil said that the Association had formally conveyed its objections to the Presidential Secretariat and would not implement the directive in its current form. He explained that assigning Government officers to individuals who are not part of the public service, and allocating State resources for their use, raises legal and administrative concerns. 

"We urge the Presidential Secretariat to reconsider the decision and instead utilise the existing administrative framework to carry out the programme. Until such reconsideration takes place, we will refrain from facilitating the proposed arrangements. If they still need to do it, they can place 'Clean Sri Lanka' coordinators in the relevant Local Government institutions."

Efforts to contact the section of the Presidential Secretariat responsible for the 'Clean Sri Lanka' initiative were unsuccessful.