Decentralisation and Effective Management : Special Reference to Sri Lanka

The most of the community-based development activities are carried out through agencies of the central government and provincial councils in the Sri Lanka. Theoretically, the local authorities are considered to be the third branch in the administrative structure. If the third branch administrative structure is weak in resources, it is not effective in the management and does not play an outstanding role in the mainstream of administration and development. Although outdated the local framework on local authorities is broad, local authorities are at crossroads at present. Therefore, it needs strength and vigour to function as a dynamic system of local governance. But the existing system of local authorities in the Sri Lanka is not recognised as a decentralised community development units, which can play a vital role coordinating and administrative to development activities at community level. The local authorities are left with residual activities providing comfort and convenience to the community in regard to public health, scavenging, public utility services and local thoroughfares. The community-based activities of the local authorities in the Sri Lanka can be classified into three broad functional areas, namely, public health and environmental sanitation, public thoroughfares and public utility services. In general, the above functions are common to the three types of local authorities' namely municipal, urban council and pradeshiya sabhas in the Sri Lanka. The activities are designed to promote the welfare and comfort of the citizens through various services and amenities