Northern Province Governor N. Vethanayagan has voiced frustration over persistent obstruction by Colombo-based officials, despite Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s supposed call for accelerated development in the North-East.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with a visiting World Bank delegation on 28 May, the Colombo-appointed Governor stressed that decades of conflict had devastated the region and left its Tamil population deprived of basic infrastructure and development. The meeting, held at the Governor’s Secretariat in Jaffna, was attended by Sri Lanka Country Operations Manager Abid Kali and Project Head Gayathri Singh.
Vethanayagan welcomed the World Bank’s direct engagement with the Northern Province, thanking the delegation for undertaking site visits to better understand the conditions on the ground. He sharply criticised certain officials in Colombo, accusing them of obstructing projects despite never having visited the North or East.
He added that if such Sri Lankan government were to visit and witness the ground reality, they would understand the legitimacy of these development requests.
The Governor highlighted tourism as a vital sector with the potential to uplift the regional economy. He noted that while the islands around Jaffna offer significant tourism potential, dilapidated jetties and neglected infrastructure have left local communities unable to benefit.
Vethanayagan also stressed the need for improved regional connectivity, calling for the construction of a bridge between Kokkilai and Pulmoddai. Such a development, he argued, would drastically reduce travel time between the Northern and Eastern provinces and mirror the positive impact the A-9 highway has had on Northern accessibility.
Dr Ahilan Kadirgamar, a member of the Governor’s advisory council, raised a question regarding the employment potential of World Bank-funded initiatives, underscoring the need for projects that provide tangible economic benefits for local residents.
In response, Abid Kali reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to working with the Northern administration and assured that development programmes would be prioritised with clear timelines and measurable outcomes.
The meeting was also attended by the Governor’s Secretary and Deputy Secretaries, as efforts continue to push for urgently needed recovery in the Tamil homeland.
