By Staff Writer Colombo, Sri Lanka

A government initiative to clean up Sri Lanka has sparked a backlash from civil servants, who claim the appointment of hundreds of “coordinators” is a politically motivated move that threatens the independence of the state service.

The “Clean Sri Lanka” national programme, launched under the vision of a “beautiful country and happy people,” aims to streamline environmental and development projects across provincial and district levels.

However, a directive issued by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, has ordered local authorities to provide office space and staff support for a new tier of coordinators.

The appointees—which include 25 district heads and over 300 divisional coordinators—are described by the government as “volunteers.” Despite this status, the President’s office has instructed that they be assigned a dedicated Management Service Officer or Development Officer to assist with their duties.

‘Unnecessary and illegal’

The Association of Divisional Secretaries and Assistant Divisional Secretaries has formally lodged a protest with the President’s office.

In a strongly worded letter, the association argued that the appointments bypass existing administrative structures and risk politicising an officially neutral public service.

“The divisional secretariat system is an independent state mechanism that operates without political bias,” the association stated. “Establishing political appointees within such a system could have a serious impact on the neutrality and independence of the public service.”

The group further argued that the move is an “unnecessary and redundant expense,” noting that district and divisional coordination committees already have the legal and administrative framework to handle such tasks.

Legal concerns

Questions have also been raised regarding the legality of allowing private individuals to utilise state resources and manage career civil servants.

Among the high-profile appointments is Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika, who has been named as the District Coordinator for Colombo.

Critics point out that similar attempts to embed political coordinators into the local bureaucracy have failed in the past, largely due to public distrust and legal challenges regarding the authority of non-officials over state property.

The government has yet to officially respond to the association’s letter, though the President’s office continues to maintain that the coordinators are essential for the effective implementation of the national programme.