Sri Lankan President Proposes District Contingency Funds in Next Budget

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the Sri Lankan government will allocate a dedicated contingency fund for every district in the upcoming national budget. The funds will enable District Secretaries to carry out urgent repairs to roads, bridges and public buildings without awaiting central government approval, aiming to speed up responses to local emergencies.

The President also instructed officials to avoid resettling families in flood‑ and landslide‑prone areas and said the government plans to relocate 13,000 war‑displaced families next year. He highlighted progress on establishing a statutory authority to manage environmentally sensitive land in the Central Hills, and pledged to revive genuinely needed but abandoned housing projects while closing non‑productive public institutions.

These measures are presented as part of broader public‑sector reforms intended to improve service delivery, enhance coordination among ministries, and promote sustainable district‑level development.