A statement issued by the Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development
At a discussion held at the Ministry of Higher Education comprising of S.B. Dissanayake, Minister of Higher Education; Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development; Professor Mrs. Vasanthi Arasaratnam, Vice Chancellor, University of Jaffna; Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education and a few high ranking Ministerial officials, all the problems that had been dragging on quite for some time concerning University of Jaffna, were completely sorted out. The discussion was held on the 30th of August, 2011 at the request of Minister Devananda.
Setting up of faculties for Agriculture and Engineering of the Jaffna University as approved of by His Excellency the President at a request made by Minister Devananda, was taken up for discussion as the first topic of the agenda of the meeting on this day. It was brought to notice that an Indian grant amounting to U S $ 2 Million has been received for the Agriculture Faculty to be set up at Kilinochchi whilst the Engineering Faculty complete with a state of the art auditorium was to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 375 Million. Minister Dissanayake instructed the Ministry officials to take necessary steps to commence work on these two projects before the year ended. Upgrading of the University of Vavuniya too was taken up for discussion. Minister instructed the Vice-chancellor to recruit personnel on contract basis temporarily to fill in all the vacancies at the university, both academic and non academic until such time permanent appointments are made.
The two Ministers made a request from Maithripala Sirisena, Minister of Health to make arrangements to assign a Paediatrician and three Specialist Surgeons presently serving in Jaffna Teaching Hospital as lecturers in medicine to Medical Faculty, Jaffna which was complied with immediately. Arrangements are to be made subsequently by the Health Ministry for filling in the vacancies that would be consequently created at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Minister also instructed the Vice-chancellor to attend to all the shortcomings in the Science Faculty, the Canteen and the Hostel. The Ministry officials were instructed to make the necessary allocations in respect of all these. Minister Dissanayake when informed about the transfer requested by the Registrar of the University to University of Batticaloa, he instructed Mr. Gamini Samaranayake, Chairman of the University Grants Commission to release the Registrar and appoint an acting officer in his place.
Minister Devananda conveyed his sincere thanks to the Higher Education Minister for sorting out the issues of the Jaffna university that had been dragging on quite for a long period of time.
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