Prime Minister call upon new SLAS officers to shoulder a new path to deliver aspirations of Mother Lanka

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena called upon the young batch of public servants to shoulder a new path to deliver aspirations of Mother Lanka. Pointing out that the public service has been accused of corruption, waste, idling and duplication of work, he urged the talented and skilled young bureaucrats to focus on socioeconomic development of the Sri Lankan society.

Addressing the Convocation of SLIDA School of Postgraduate Studies at BMICH today (January 25) the Prime Minister urged the passing out graduands and SLIDA academics to focus on the most criticized drawbacks that needs to be addressed and rectify the Sri Lanka’s Administrative Service.

“Corruption, Waste, and Idling have been top of the accusations pointed at State Agencies. Newest to join this wagon is "Duplication" of institutions and roles. Not only vertically as State or Provincial or Local authorities, but even horizontally in each of the layers. These four burdens are the most criticized drawbacks that need to be addressed and rectify by Sri Lanka&rsquo,s Administrative Service in the next 25 Years,” he said.

The Prime Minister congratulated the new administrators stating that it is indeed a great moment to have completed and accrued knowledge while achieving an academic excellence in the arena of Development Administration, certainly one of the most important pillars of our nations forward march.

That Development Administration is about projects, programs, policies, ideas etc focused at socio-economic or socio-political development of society, carried out by talented and skilled bureaucrats, he said.
From grassroot government officers through divisional secretaries to district secretaries to broadening into variety of other related agencies. That is why this much important meeting place is currently getting transformed under the Government’s declared policy of "Food Security & Nutrition" drive, and surely this drive must keep pace and direction.

Premier Gunawardena also referred to the angst among the youths. “The truth about the Angry Men & Women of Lanka, both in the service, as well as among those the service has to deal with in society. The difference here is that you would know clearly and precisely what it is that has generated your anger, as men and women in possession of the highest forms of knowledge in the age in which you live can make available to you,” he said.

He recalled an advice given by his late father Hon Philip Gunawardena; "The important thing is that you do not permit your anger to cool, and to degenerate into a permanent attitude of passivity; that you do not become resigned to the present state of affairs; instead that you utilize your creative powers and disciplined minds to devise new ways of directing your anger, so that the obstacles with which you are faced today will finally be overcome."

The Prime Minister urged the young officers to utilize new technology to its maximum. “Gone are the days one should demand for a desk and chair, and clericals etc. Most of all now sits in a device no more than the size of your palm. Even more, you are now able to be available both physically and virtually when necessities arise to serve the people.”
In conclusion as a mark of gratitude I wish to remember a galaxy of outstanding men and women who served and inspired the Civil Service and us, he said.