Officers must prioritise public grievance committees: Minister

Colombo, June 18 (Daily Mirror) - Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Professor Chandana Abayaratne has emphasized that public officers are duty-bound to provide prompt solutions to public grievances and must prioritise Divisional Coordination Committee meetings above other official engagements.

Speaking at a meeting held today (18) in the Karuwalagaswewa area of Puttalam District, the Minister described the Divisional Coordination Committee as the “foremost development mechanism” at regional level. He warned that absenteeism without valid reasons would disrupt ongoing development work and delay solutions to public issues.

The Minister warned that failure of public officers to attend Divisional Coordination Committee meetings could hamper regional development efforts, noting that such meetings are essential for resolving public grievances efficiently.

He further said that when officers fail to attend without reasonable cause, it disrupts the process of addressing public concerns and slows down development initiatives. He instructed that officers must inform relevant authorities in advance if they are unable to attend and ensure proper representation at such meetings.

The Minister also directed that officers should not schedule other meetings on days when Divisional Coordination Committee meetings are held. He added that if attendance is unavoidable, alternative arrangements must be made for another responsible officer to participate. He further stressed that only genuine humanitarian circumstances, such as sudden illness, would be accepted as valid reasons for absence.