By: Staff Writer
July 23, Colombo (LNW): The Government has taken the first formal step toward a major overhaul of Sri Lanka’s fragmented road management system, with the Cabinet of Ministers approving the appointment of a high-level committee to examine whether the Road Development Authority (RDA) should assume responsibility for rehabilitating selected roads currently controlled by Provincial Councils and Local Government authorities.
While the official explanation focuses on speeding up urgent repairs, the move raises broader questions about the long-standing failure of provincial institutions to maintain their road networks and whether the shift signals growing centralisation of infrastructure management.
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced that the decision was prompted by repeated requests from the public and Government officials during District Coordination Committee meetings and other forums. According to him, citizens have increasingly appealed for the RDA to intervene in repairing deteriorating roads that fall outside its legal jurisdiction.
The Government has already identified nearly 60 roads owned by Provincial Councils and Local Government institutions that could be transferred to the RDA for rehabilitation, suggesting that the exercise is more than a theoretical policy discussion.
However, several critical issues remain unanswered.
Provincial Councils have constitutionally assigned responsibilities over a large portion of Sri Lanka’s road network. Any permanent transfer of rehabilitation powers could require careful legal interpretation, amendments to administrative procedures, or fresh agreements between the Centre and provincial administrations.
To address these concerns, the Cabinet-appointed committee will examine the legal, institutional and financial framework required before the RDA can officially undertake rehabilitation work on provincial and local authority roads.
The committee itself reflects the complexity of the task. It includes representatives from the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry, the Transport, Highways and Urban Development Ministry, the Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry, the Finance Commission, a Provincial Chief Secretary, the Department of Management Services, the RDA and a Provincial Road Development Authority.
The composition indicates that the Government is not merely seeking engineering solutions but also attempting to resolve issues involving funding responsibilities, institutional authority and administrative accountability.
The RDA currently manages the national highway network, including A and B class roads, expressways and major bridges. Provincial and local roads, however, have often suffered from inconsistent maintenance due to limited budgets, procurement delays and varying technical capacity across local institutions.
Critics have long argued that poor coordination between different tiers of Government has contributed to deteriorating road conditions, particularly in rural areas where damaged roads affect transport, agriculture, education and emergency services.
If implemented, the proposal could significantly reshape the country’s road administration by allowing the RDA to intervene where provincial authorities lack the resources to undertake urgent repairs.
Whether the initiative becomes a limited rehabilitation programme or marks the beginning of a broader restructuring of Sri Lanka’s road governance will depend on the committee’s recommendations and the Government’s willingness to address the legal and political implications of shifting responsibilities between central and provincial institutions.
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