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Special Project Minister has only kidney, other tasks hazy
View(s):The newly appointed Special Projects Minister S.M. Chandrasena has been tasked with identifying environmental factors that contribute to the increase in kidney patients and initiating action to minimise or eliminate the impact of such factors. It was the only job that S.M. Chandrasena was assigned with some specificity when the President gazetted his duties and functions last week. The Anuradhapura district parliamentarian was assigned the government’s seventieth cabinet portfolio in November.
It was not immediately clear how the new Ministry of Special Projects would coordinate with the many other agencies—most of them under the Ministry of Health—already working in the area of kidney disease.
The gazette notification does not provide details about other tasks or duties Mr. Chandrasena would handle. It states, broadly, that the minister will be responsible for, “The formulation of special programmes and projects in relation to areas requiring priority attention based on the Mahinda Chinthana—Vision for the Future—and any other National Policies that are to be implemented by the Government”. The ministry has not been assigned any departments, public corporations or statutory institutions. Neither is it the implementing agency for any laws. Its other duties and functions include, vaguely, “Direction of the implementation of such policies, programmes and projects within timelines agreed with the national planning authorities and within budgeted resources, with a view to achieving relevant objectives.”
The minister has been placed in charge of, “Provision of all public services that come under the purview of the Ministry in an efficient and people friendly manner”. There is no definition of what these public services are.
He is responsible, too, for “Reforming of all systems and procedures to ensure the conduct of business in an efficient manner deploying modern management techniques and technology where applicable while eliminating corruption and waste.” The gazette does not say what these “systems and procedures” are and is equally unclear on where corruption and waste should be eliminated.
“Development and extension of Agricultural Enterprises,” is another subject area. The relevant agricultural enterprises are not outlined. The minister’s last task is, “To assist other Ministers in the implementation of special project (sic)”.
Since November 2010, when President Mahinda Rajapaksa gazetted the subjects and functions of the first cabinet of his second term, six additional ministries have been created. There were originally 64. The last to be created (in August 2013) was the Ministry of Law and Order, which falls under the President and is responsible for the Police Department.