TY  - JOUR
T1  - Public Service Delivery: Impact of Establishing an Administrative
District in the Kalmunai Region, Sri Lanka
AU - Ismail, Mohammad Azziyadi AU - Yusoff, Mohammad Agus AU - Sarjoon, Athambawa 
JO  - International Business Management
VL  - 11
IS  - 4
SP  - 929
EP  - 940
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1993-5250
DO  - ibm.2017.929.940
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=ibm.2017.929.940
KW  - Decentralization
KW  -public service delivery
KW  -tamil-speakers
KW  -Kalmunai administrative district
KW  -Sri Lanka
AB  - One of the key arguments expressed by many theorists and advocates of decentralization is that it
allows for more channels to increase the outreach of public services. Greater institutional capacity and an
enhanced mode of language for service delivery in a decentralized administrative model is believed to
dramatically improve service delivery in plural societies. Many developing countries have thus initiated
decentralization initiatives. This study examined service delivery limitations and impact of establishing a
decentralized administrative district in the coastal belt of Amparai district, commonly known as the “Kalmunai
region” of Sri Lanka’s Eastern province. Qualitative data in this case study revealed that the residents of the
region, the majority of whom are Tamil-speakers have long faced a number of problems and challenges
accessing the public services offered by the district’s secretariat and other decentralized government
departments located in Amparai town. Those challenges were found to be mainly related to the location of the
district’s capital and the use of Sinhala rather than Tamil as the official language of the district administration.
The situation was found to have resulted in a public demand for a separate administrative district for Kalmunai
region. Overall, this study provided evidence to suggest that the establishment of the proposed administrative
district would significantly facilitate the delivery of public services to the Tamil-speaking community in the
Kalmunai region through properly and efficiently administered the district-level decentralized institutions.
ER  -