Shortage of administrative officers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 August 2005, 13:31 GMT]
Civil groups in Jaffna district have complained to the district secretariat authorities that people are undergoing severe hardships in obtaining the services of Grama Sevaka Niladhari officers due to the dearth for such officers. There are 435 Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions in the Jaffna district, but only 123 GN divisions in Jaffna district have functioning officers, civil sources said.

Village level GN officers are tasked to provide basic amenities and to ensure livelihood assistance to people who are below poverty line.

People also go to GN offices to register births, deaths, and to get income certificates to make applications to obtain loans in banks and for other purposes.

They are also given the task of recommending relief to affected people by war and tsunami, sources said.

Victims of war and tsunami are now finding very difficult to obtain assistance from government agencies without GN recommendations, sources said.

A proposal was made to the District Secretariat to appoint retired GN officers to vacant posts temporarily. But it was not carried out so far, civil groups said

District authorities have asked available GN officers to look after other divisions temporarily in addition to their duties till the vacant posts are filled.