Colombo: Sri Lankan government has decided to hold the first ever provincial-level Cabinet meeting in Kilinochchi, the erstwhile administrative capital of the vanquished LTTE, next month in an effort to reach out to the local people.
"The first Cabinet meeting at provincial level will be held in Kilinochchi a former strong hold of defeated Tigers on July 14," Cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.
"Since all the ministers will be there local people could find solutions for their burning problems."
It will also coincide with the launch of a mobile service to solve the burning problems of the people in the district. Kilinochchi was liberated from the LTTE in January last year.
Rambukwella said the government also planned to hold its weekly Cabinet meeting in other districts.
Meanwhile, General Secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party and cabinet minister Maithripala Sirisena said that the government had decided not only to decentralise its administration system but also the Cabinet related activities.
The entire country is under one umbrella and there was no colour creed, religious or provincial discrimination, he said, adding "that is why the government has decided to hold a Cabinet meeting in the north".
Meanwhile, a programme is under way to utilise the potential of the youth in Kilinochchi and other Northern areas for national development, according to an official release.
The government aims to find employment opportunities for northern youths while providing them vocational training, it said.
A training centre for the purpose was declared open earlier this week in the former LTTE stronghold. Parliamentarian and Sri Lankan President`s son Namal Rajapaksa declared open a branch of the National Apprenticeship Board (NAITA) in the city, which recruits youth for training in private and public sector institutions and at the end of the training they would be absorbed into the permanent employment.
During the training period a special living allowance will be paid by NAITA to trainees. The youth in the North did not have the opportunity to pursue education due to terrorist activities, the release said.
After ushering in peace, the government is making arrangements to extend modern technology to the North, it said adding the Centre has also launched a programme to find them foreign employment after providing vocational training. Meanwhile, a medical camp was held at the Kanaka-puram Vidyalaya in Kilinochchi to find solutions for the health problems of the people in Kilinochchi.
Parliamentarian Sudarshani Fernandopulle, whose husband and former minister Jayaraj Fernandopulle was assassinated by the LTTE in 2008, participated in the camp along with a team of doctors.
A stock of drugs and medical appliances were also donated to the hospital, an official statement said.
PTI
