New Secretary of Defence and Urban Development assumes office

Monday, 12 January 2015 00:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

B.M.U.D Basnayake, the former Secretary to Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy, assumed office as the new Secretary of Defence and Urban Development Ministry on Sunday morning, during a simple ceremony, attended by additional secretaries, tri-service commanders, invitees and a host of administrative service officials and service officers. Flanked by his wife, two daughters, Additional Secretary to Ministry of Defence, Siri Hettiarachchi the commander of the Army, Navy and Air Force and other senior officers, Basnayake was afterwards greeted by everyone present there. Later on, Basnayake spoke at the ministry’s conference hall and urged the gathering to give him their fullest cooperation in order for him to carry out his duties as per the guidelines given to him by the President, Prime Minister and Government. “In consultation with the Army and other services, all measures would be taken to sustain the territorial integrity and the unitary status of the country since the military had succeeded in restoring peace in the country. I wish to pay a special word of thanks to my predecessor with whom I spoke to over the phone before I assumed duties. “With my diverse experience as an administrator, I believe, I would be able to perform my duties in this sphere of national security. In the future I would like to meet all of you separately and map out our future roles and tasks for the best interest of the country,” Basnayake said.

Service Chiefs, IGP pay courtesy call on new President

Army, Navy, Air Force Commanders and the Inspector General of Police, together with the Chief of Defence Staff, paid their first courtesy call on President Maithripala Sirisena, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Saturday evening, at the Government’s ministerial residence in Colombo.

Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera, Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Kolitha Gunatilleke and Inspector General of Police N.K. Illangakoon, during this brief courtesy call, extended their greetings to the new President and assured him of their best support for maintenance of law and order in the country. President Maithripala Sirisena thanked the three service chiefs and the IGP in return for their commendable commitment during the past few days. Chief of Defence Staff General Jagath Jayasuriya was also present at the occasion.

Additional Secretary Hettiarachchi welcomed the new secretary on arrival at the premises, together with a representative team of senior Ministry of Defence officials. Basnayake, a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) Special Grade, holds a Master’s of Development Administration (MDA), National Centre for Development Administration (NCDA) from the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, Australia, a Master of Science (MSc) in Agriculture Economics from the Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya (PGIA) and a Graduate Diploma in Development Administration from the National Centre for Development Administration of the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from the University of Kelaniya in Geography.

Basnayake was serving as the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy before he was appointed the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development the President Maithripala Sirisena was voted into power. From 2010-2012 he also held the position of Permanent Secretary to the Ministries of Resettlement and Transport. As an Additional Secretary, Basnayake has served several ministries, including Public Management Reforms, Tourism, Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development. Basnayake joined the SLAS in January 1982 and held the positions of Assistant Director and Deputy Director to the Department of Fiscal Policy and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance and Assistant Government Agent (Akkaraipattu Division) Ampara.