Since the inception of the Provincial Council system in Sri Lanka, the Central Provincial Council has been able to take giant leaps to development milestones. The province has been a central economic location from the time when British ruled. The Central Province provided the third highest contribution to the GDP, maintaining its relative position compared to 2009, and managing to increase its GDP contribution to 10.0 per cent in 2010 (Central Bank). By taking advantage of its unique geography, the Central Province contributed 18.2% of the total in the agricultural sector in 2010 in Sri Lanka. Per capita income of Central Province is Rs 208,000 and it comfortably lies somewhere in the middle of the income continuum, manifesting fair income disparity.

The province also holds a certain significance to the export sector, especially for the much sought after commodity "Ceylon Tea". The Central Province is identified with its broad ethnic diversity; Sinhalese amounts to 65.35%, Indian Tamil amounts to 19.92%, Sri Lankan Moors amounts to 9.20%, Sri Lankan Tamil amounts to 5.05%, and Burgers amounts to 0.15%. The Council has been able to successfully address diverse and specific needs of these segments. In 2001 the population of the Central Province was estimated to be 2,423,966, which represented a 12.97% of the total population making the Central Province the second most populated in Sri Lanka. This presents an important implication in terms of administration and financing of the province as a whole. Kandy is the most populated district in the Central Province, accounting to a population of 1,279,028 individuals, followed by the Nuweraeliya District of 703,610 individuals, and the Matale District of 441,328 individuals according to national census carried out in 2001.

Proposed actions which are explained in detail in the following chapters have been laid on fertile socioeconomic factors that have been described above. The data presented below in a time span of three years from 2009, provides a better insight into the Central Provincial Council's past performance and hence bestow credible evidence to prove its capability in achieving future development targets.

The Department of Local Government

The year 2010 was an outstanding year for road development activities carried out by the Department of Local Government. In 2010 alone nearly 800km of roads were developed out of which more than 600km constructions were carried out in the Kandy District. During 2009-2011 1600Km of roads were developed. The target is to add another 1500Km of roads to the provincial road network by 2016. Much of the work was done during the last three years in the Kandy District. More than 500 sanitary facilities were established in the Kandy District during this period.

Matale and Nuwaraeliya Districts needs further attention with only 87 facilities being developed in the last three years. This three-year time period includes 46 parking facilities in Kandy and Nuwaraeliya. No parking facilities were established in the Matale District. Furthermore the department plans to add 50 three-wheeler parking facilities in 43 local government authority areas. There is a progressive increase in the number of training programmes conducted by the department in the Matale District. No training has been carried out in the other districts in the province.

Though three successive European powers invaded Sri Lanka during the 16th to the 19th century, the Central Province maintained its independence until the early 19th century when the British finally managed to conqueror Kandy.

The first provincial election of the central province was held on the 23rd June 1988 and the United National Party won the ruling power of the council.  The first governor to the 1st council of the central province was hon. E. L. B. Hurulle (06. 06. 1988 – 31. 01. 1990).   The  first chief minister to the central province was Hon.  W. P. B.  Dissanayake ,the 1st chairman was Hon. D. B. Samarathunga and the 1st chief of the opposition party was  Hon. Sarath Kongahage.

Venue of the 1st Council Meeting was held on the 14th July 1988 at the Alwis Building, No. 11, Kande Veediya, Kandy.  until the 22nd January, 1991 assembly of council meetings had been held at various halls and hotels.  This day onwards the council meetings and all the services for the council members are done at the official assembly hall of the office of the council secretariat Pallekele, Kundasale.

Hon. P. C. Imbulana became the governor after him and held the position until 02. 01. 1995.

With the introduction of the Provincial Councils the laws & regulations effected are functioning mainly on the basis of following acts.

• 13th Amendment to the constitution
• Provincial Council Act no. 42 of 1987
• Provincial Council Act no. 02 of 1988 on provincial elections
• Provincial Council Act no. 37 of 1988 on Salaries and Allowances

The Chief Minister of Central Province, Sri Lanka is the elected head of local government at the provincial level, and is vested with most of the executive powers. The Chief Minister is chosen by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a majority in the provincial council, and serves a six-year term with a provision of re-election. The Governor is the head of province, but his or her role is largely ceremonial.

Chief Ministers

The Central Province is located in the central hills of Sri Lanka and consists of the three districts, Kandy, Matale and Nuwaraeliya.  The land area of the province is 5674 square kilometres which is 8.6% of the total land area of Sri Lanka. The province lies on 6.6°- 7.7° Northern latitudes and between 80.5°-80.9° Eastern longitudes. The elevation in the province ranges from 600 feet to over 6000 feet above sea level in the central hills. The province is bordered by the North Central Province from the north, the Mahaweli River and Uma Oya from the east, to the south, from the mountain range of Adams peak, Kirigalpottha and Thotapala, and from the west, the mountain ranges Dolosbage and Galagedera.

The mean temperature range from 16°C - 28°C in the Province with lower temperatures is recorded in the hills in the Nuwaraeliya District. In the Central Province 52% of the land has been cultivated while another 6.3% has been identified as lands which can be cultivated. Of the cultivated lands, more than 35% has been cultivated with tea while 14.8% has been cultivated with paddy. The percentage of lands cultivated with coconut and rubber is 4.8% and 2.3% respectively.

For the purpose of administration the Central Province has 36 Divisional Secretary areas in the three districts. They are further divided into 2,224 Grama Niladari areas, 5,763 villages, and local government bodies comprising 3 municipality, and 6 urban council areas.

Provincial administration is vested in the Central Provincial Council composed of elected representatives of the people, headed by a Governor who is appointed by His Excellency the President. The annual growth rate for 2007 was 0.9%. The population density for the Central Province was 433 persons per square kilometre. According to the 2001 census data 70.0%, 20.2% and 9.8% of the population were classified as rural, estate and urban respectively.

The official flower of the central province the Rhododendron arboreum - subsp. zeylanicum grows in the regions 1700 – 2300 m above sea level, in Horton plains, Ohiya, Pattipola, Seetha Eliya, Moon Thenna in the Nuwara Eliya district. It is reported that this plant has been found growing in the Knuckles, Namunukula  ranges.

This plant grows better in on open plants rather than in forests. It grows up to 2 or 3 feet in open plains and the same is found growing up to 10 or 15 feet in jungles. Apart from surviving in the chilly regions of the mountains ,this plant also has been observed to successfully with stand the frequent forest fires in the Horton plains being capable of re-grow after destruction by fire. The leaves exhibit thickness in the region of millimeters of 110×50. In common with the leaves of other sub species Rhododendron arboreum - subsp. zeylanicum bears fine brown hairs on the underside of the leaves, the same can be considered as equipment meant to with stand extreme cold.


The buds of the Rhododendron arboreum - subsp. zeylanicum are oval in shape and they open out as flowers from time to time. The flowers come out in bunches deep red in colour. Each such bunch of flowers contains 10,20 flowers that can be separated and are 35×20 mm in size.In the Horton plains flowers bloom during April to June in profusion and can be seen adding colour to the mist clad hills and presents a lovely and resplendent spectacles while adding to the beauty of nature attracts bee’s butterflies and birds to the nectar provided and thus presence a spectacle of outstanding beauty, in the hills.

According to the picturesque details presented the Rhododendron arboreum-subsp.zeylanicum flourishes only in the central hills. Therefore this flower has been accepted as a flower endemic to the central region.