Local government and good governance in Sri Lanka: a comparative study of Batticaloa and Kalmunai municipal councils

Abstract

Good Governance is a precondition for sustainable development. There is also the prerequisites mat legal, institutional and policy framework as well as competencies of the local governance enable a transparent, participative, effective and efficient governance process. Unfortunatnately in East Sri Lanka as well as in many other parts of the country, this assumption is only partly met, and socio-economic progress is directly influenced by this fact On this backdrop, the research focuses on comparative view of role of Kalmunai and Batticaloa Municipal Councils in installing good governance. The prime objective of mis study is to identify the achievements of bom councils in their good governance process, and to study the barriers that are inhibiting the both council in establishing good governance. Further this research provides some recommendation to uplift this situation. This study is based on comparative method in which has been used qualitative and quantitative data. Both primary and secondary materials have been used. The major findings of this study is that level of Kalmunai Municipal Council good governance process is very low compare to Batticoloa Municipal council, and both have many challenges in establishing good governance in their governance process.