Govt. gazettes 6 administrative zones to implement provisions of Divineguma Act

Government this week gazetted six administrative zones for the purpose of implementing the provisions of the Divineguma Act.

The gazette was issued under the signature of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The Divineguma zones will come into effect alongside several other administrative divisions in the country— including education and health zones. The Divineguma Act came into effect on January 3, 2014.

Colombo, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Galle and Matara are clustered as Divineguma Zone 1. Gampaha, Kurunegala, Puttalam and Kegalla as Zone 2. Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale and Badulla as Zone 3. Hambantota, Moneragala and Ampara as Zone 4. Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Batticaloa as Zone 5. Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar as Zone 6.

Section 8 of the Divineguma Act, under which the zones have been promulgated, also allows the Cabinet of Ministers to appoint a head to each division “of a similar standing to that of a head of a government department”.

The Divineguma Act provides for the establishment of the Department of Divineguma Development by amalgamating the Samurdhi Authority, the Southern Development Authority of Sri Lanka and the Udarata Development Authority of Sri Lanka.

It envisages the establishment of Divineguma community-based organisations at rural level and a “coordinating network” at district and national level. It allows for the setting up of Divineguma communitybased bans and Divineguma communitybased banking societies.

The Divineguma Act provides for the establishment of the Department of Divineguma Development by amalgamating the Samurdhi Authority, the Southern Development Authority of Sri Lanka and the Udarata Development Authority of Sri Lanka.