We have to think about devolving power to city corps-pm

Sri Lanka will have to look at devolving power to city corporations or local bodies in the future, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

Speaking at the past pupils get-together of Hartley College in Jaffna last evening, Mr. Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka will have to think of a third sphere of devolution, which could mean devolving power to local bodies or city corporations.

“We have to think of devotion. We have had it for some time but we have to think of further devolution and even think of a third spear of devolution. In England schools are run by the local authorities. Some local bodies have police powers. The New York City Corporation police handled the 9/11 attack. The State just sent in some national guards and deployed planes on surveillance. In the US city corporations are stronger than the state government. We also have to look at this and sort things out,” he said.

Further he said the government, in order to start rebuilding Jaffna, was looking at giving away some of the lands to the people of Jaffna. But the Premier said some lands will have to be kept to enable the expansion of the Palali Airport which is going to be turned into a regional airport.

The Prime Minister also said that demography of Sri Lanka is changing. He said while the Tamil population in Jaffna is reducing the Tamil population in Western Province was increasing. He said the Tamil population is increasing in the area from Wattala to Ratmalana and in Kotte. “In addition rural people are coming to urban areas. Many will go to Hambantota as well with the development. Tamils in Batticaloa and Badulla are going to move in there. Mass migration is taking place within the country,” he said indicating that the government will have