Several top government officers including Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Treasury Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundara are to play key roles in the Disaster Management Centre, informed sources said yesterday.

Sources from the Ministry of Disaster Management told the Daily Mirror that Mr. Rajapaksa and Dr. Jayasundara are to be appointed to the newly established board of directors of the Disaster Management Centre.

The decision to appoint a board of directors to the disaster management centre was made by the Disaster Management council which met last Friday at Temple Trees with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the chairperson.

A board of directors was appointed to ensure a smooth decision making and implementation process.

Provincial Councils Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayatileke is also to be appointed to the board while Disaster Management Ministry Secretary S. M. Mohamed is expected to function as its chairperson.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management council had also decided to extend the term of Major General Gamini Hettiarachchi as the Director General of the Disaster Management Centre. Major General Hettiarachchi was due to retire as he had reached the age of 60 but President Rajapaksa had decided to retain him in his post.

Major General Hettiarachchi was first appointed to the post seven years ago by the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga when the disaster management centre was established after the 2004 tsunami.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka