en English si සිංහල ta தமிழ்

Welcome to the Office of the Council Secretary
Central Provincial Council

Thank you for visiting the official website of the Council Secretariate of Central Provincial Council, Sri Lanka.
H.E. Ranil Wickremesinghe

H.E. Ranil Wickremesinghe

President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
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Chief Minister of the Central Province
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Hon. L. D. Nimalasiri

Hon. L. D. Nimalasiri

Chairman of the Central Provincial Council
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Kumudini S. Premachandra

Kumudini S. Premachandra

The Council Secretary, Central Provincial Council
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An Introduction to the Central Province

The Central Province is located in the central hills of Sri Lanka and consists of the three Districts Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya.  The land area of the Province is 5674 square kilometers which is 8.6% of the total land area of Sri Lanka. The Province lies on 6.6°- 7.7° Northern latitude and between 80.5°-80.9° Eastern longitudes. The elevation in the Province ranges from 600 feet to over 6000 feet above sea level in the central hills. The Province is bordered by the North Central Province from the North the Mahaweli river and Uma Oya from the east to the south from the mountain range of Sri Pada, Kirigalpottha and Thotapala and the mountain ranges Dolosbage and Galagedera from the west.

About Central Provincial Council of Sri Lanka

central province flag

The Provincial Council system was established in Sri Lanka in the year 1988 under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Accordingly the functions of the Central Provincial Council have been commenced on the  14th July 1988 . The Central provincial Council Authority Area Consists of three Administrative Districts , Namely Kandy , Matale and Nuwara Eliya. There are 58  elected members in the Central  Provincial  Council , representing the major communities , Sinhala , Tamil and Muslims living in the Central Province.

The Governor appointed by the President functions as the Chief Executive of the Central Province. There is a Board of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head and four other Ministers to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of  his function.

According to  the 13th Amendment to the Constitution  the subjects  and function allocated to the Central Provincial Council are shown in the 1st List called the provincial Council List. The 2nd List shows subjects and functions reserved for the parliament called the enclosed list and in  the 3rd List the subjects and functions can be exercised by both the parliament and the provincial council and is referred to as the concurrent List.

The Provincial Council , subject to the provisions of the constitution, frames statutes applicable to central province in respect of any matter set out in the provincial council List’ the provincial council has no power to make statutes on any matter set out in the reserved ListThe Central Provincial council, subject to the provisions of the constitution , may make statutes applicable to the Central Province.

History of the Central Provincial Council

The first provincial election of the central province was held on the 23rd June 1988 and the United National Party won the ruling power of the council.  The first governor to the 1st council of the central province was Mr. E. L. B. Hurulle (06. 06. 1988 – 31. 01. 1990).   The  first chief minister to the central province was Hon.  W. P. B.  Dissanayake ,the 1st chairman was Hon. D. B. Samarathunga and the 1st chief of the opposition party was  Hon. Sarath Kongahage.
Venue of the 1st Council Meeting was held on the 14th July 1988 at the Alwis Building, No. 11, Kande Veediya, Kandy.  until the 22nd January, 1991 assembly of council meetings had been held at various halls and hotels.  At present, the council meetings and all the services for the council members are held at the official assembly hall of the office of the council secretariat Pallekele, Kundasale.
After him, Hon. P. C. Imbulana became the Governor and held the position until 02. 01. 1995.

With the introduction of the Provincial Councils the laws & regulations effected are functioning mainly on the basis of following acts.
  1. 13th Amendment to the constitution
  2. Provincial Council Act no. 42 - 1987.
  3. Provincial Council Act no. 02 - 1988 (provincial elections)
  4. Provincial Council Act no. 37 - 1988 (Salaries and Allowances)

The Mace (Senkolaya)

central province mace

The Mace, according to the British Westminster system is a special element of democratic parliamentary governing. The Mace symbolises the Public who take part in the governing process. The Mace is displayed in the council to symbolise the representatives of the people, who are elected by the public at Divisional level. Accordingly, the Mace of  the Parliament of Sri Lanka which is crafted with British tradition, was gifted to Sri Lanka by the British House of Commons in 1949.

The Central Provincial Council's Mace is also a result of the same influence. It is made with precious Mahogany wood and is a true representative of the esteemed upcountry craftsmanship. All members and officials of the council stand up and bow down to mark their respect to the Mace, from the moment it is been brought in to the council by the Chairman and Secretaries, to until it is laid on its holder.

Whenever the Mace is placed in the council, it is positioned so that the heavy part faces the governing party and the handle faces the Opposition. This is to denote that the heavy part represents the majority while the smaller handle represents the minority. The Mace is seated at the top most place of its holder when the council operates as a grand assembly and lowered when the council functions as a working committee.

The heavy head of the Mace consists of a "Pun Kalasa" (pot of abundance - the symbol of prosperity) with a large blooming Lotus flower.

Maha Rath Mala - The Official Flower of Central Province

maha rath mala

The official flower of the central province the Rhododendron arboreum - subsp. zeylanicum grows in the regions 1700 – 2300 m above sea level, in Horton plains, Ohiya, Pattipola, Seetha Eliya, Moon Thenna in the Nuwara Eliya district. It is reported that this plant has been found growing in the Knuckles, Namunukula  ranges.

This plant grows better in on open plains rather than in forests. It grows up to 2 or 3 feet in open plains and the same is found growing up to 10 or 15 feet in jungles. Apart from surviving in the coold regions of the mountains ,this plant also has been observed to successfully withstand frequent forest fires in the Horton plains being capable of re-grow after destruction by fire. The leaves exhibit thickness in the region of millimeters of 110×50. In common with the leaves of other sub species Rhododendron arboreum - subsp. zeylanicum bears fine brown hairs on the underside of the leaves. This can be considered as an adaptation to withstand extreme cold.
Perperous Medarata Marches Forward with Dignity

Contact Us

Telephone: Council Secretariat
Central Provincial Council
New Administrative Complex
3rd Floor, Pallekele
Kundasale
Sri Lanka
Telephone: +94 812 420705
Fax: +94 812 422629
E-mail: assemblycpc@gmail.com

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