Divisional Secretariat - Matugama

A Government Agent was also appointed for the Kalutara District. An Assistant Agent was also appointed to assist him. After the establishment of the district system, the district was divided into several parts namely West Pasyodun Korale, East Pasyodun Korale, Raigam Korale and Kalutara Thotamuna. The village headman was one Arachchi in ten divisions. In the ancient Kandyan areas there were positions such as Korala Gun Arachchi, the gentleman of the country. The last Vidane Arachchi in Matugama was Samel Arachchi alias Samel Munasinghe Arachchi.

In 1927, following the recommendations of a commission chaired by Lord Denmore, the English government began to expand local government powers. Accordingly, during the State Council period, the government took steps to strengthen the village council in 1932 in accordance with the Village Council Ordinance. Later Act No. 20 of 1938 expanded the existing powers of the Village Councils. The agent of the district government was busy with the expansion of powers such as keeping a public seal and buying property and levying taxes. Therefore, the necessary boundaries have been set to divide the then 17 districts into 111 Divisional Revenue Control Divisions. The map issued by the Survey Department shows that this step was taken in the year 1939. For the first time in the history of the country, the local revenue authorities, or DROs, Candidates who passed the Civil Service Examination for the first time in Sri Lanka in the year 1943 were also appointed as DROs. A. Amarapala Vidana Pathirana (1941-44) AD Thomas Dias Jayaweera (1944-47) Senaratne Gamlathralage Leonard Daniel Perera (January 01-March 1947) SNG Theobold Wijesiri Gunawardena (1948-50) G. Gnanasena de Zoysa (1950-53) Senaratne Gamlathralage Leonard Daniel Perera (1953-1958) Charles Chandradasa Badugodahewa (1958-1965) Formerly served at Matugama Watte In an existing building (the old building of the Wettewa Hospital) and finally in an old house in front of the Matugama Pradeshiya Sabha on Agalawatta Road. The office has been maintained.

By 1959, there were five administrative divisions in the Kalutara district and five revenue controllers. It is stated that 227 village headmen worked under them. In 1958, the D.R.O. During the reign of Mr. BC Chandradasa who came to Matugama in 1960, the land and house adjoining the present Ananda Armory in Matugama were leased from its owner Mr. Boniface Fernando to the Matugama DRO. The office was permanently established there. The building later became government property. The report of the Salaries and Officers' Procedure Commission (1961 Session 111), headed by Wilmot Perera in 1961, recommended the abolition of the village chief system. Accordingly, in the year 1962, the old system of village headmen was changed and a new post called Grama Sevaka was created and village level officers were appointed. Accordingly, a centralized examination was conducted for this purpose. Village headmen also came forward and some of them were elected as new Grama Sevakas. They were given new appointments as Acting Village Headmen and Grama Sevakas. Twenty seven Grama Niladharis had assumed duties on May 1, 1963 on behalf of the West Pasyodun Korale. Among them were going on petrol with the excise officers and racketeering. It is said that when there was a murder, the body had to be guarded. One of the most important tasks performed during Mr. BC Chandradasa's tenure was to carry out the task of taking over schools by the government. Matugama Ananda College was one of the foremost schools to be taken over.

The Ceylon Administrative Service (CAS) was launched in 1961 to change the system of recruiting revenue controllers through the Civil Service Examination, which began in the early days of British colonial rule. Recruitment falls into the shadows. The Public Service Commission was facilitated by these five grades of recruitment. They took up their posts in 1963 and 1965. After the 1965 Parliamentary elections, M.E.L. Mr. Fernando Matugama DRO During his tenure, the Agriculture Exhibition held at Matugama Central College was praised by all. He has also started a Shramadana project to clear canals and dams to promote agriculture in the area. He held that position until 1966. After this time n. (Norris) Amarasiri Obadage has been the Revenue Controller of Pasyodun Korale, West. Had been appointed as. The so-appointed H.H. Mr. Gunawardena served as the Revenue Controller until 1970.

Nihal Jinasena was the first Revenue Controller to be appointed to the Administrative Service and returned to Matugama in 1970. The system has been abolished and the post of Divisional Assistant Government Agent has been established. The first two Assistant Government Agent Divisions in the Kalutara District were Matugama and Horana areas. Mr. Ratnayake was appointed in 1978. The existing post of Grama Sevaka was changed to a new name as Grama Niladhari Officer. Mr. Ratnayake served in that post till 1980.

Mr. D. Somajeewa served as the Assistant Government Agent, Matugama from 1981 to 1983. Mr. K. Lionel Perera served as the Assistant Government Agent, Matugama from January 13, 1983. When he transferred to the Madurawala Assistant Government Agent's Office in 1990, Mr. Shantha Kumara Kannangara Matugama briefly served as Assistant Government Agent. After changing the name of the Assistant Government Agent from June 1, 1990 and making the post of Assistant Government Agent under the Provincial Council as the Divisional Secretary. Mr. Lionel Perera was appointed as the Divisional Secretary of Matugama. Later this system was changed and the post of Divisional Secretary was re-established as an official hierarchy under the Central Government. He served in those posts from 01.07.1991 to 14/05/1992. Later, K.S. Mr. S. Wimalaweera was a member of the Rubber Control Department until 1994. Mr. Sisira Priyadarshana served from 1998 to 2000. After that Mrs. Kusum Piyaratne was appointed as the Divisional Secretary. Mrs. Sandanayake was elected. Sujani Mahesha de Silva was appointed in 2010 and served as the Divisional Secretary until 2016. It was during this period that the payment for the new Divisional Secretariat residence in Matugama was made. From 2016 to 2021 Mrs. Shyama P.  Kariyawasam Mrs. W.M.N Hulugalle served as the Divisional Secretary of Matugama. One of her major tasks after her appointment was to set up an archive to store documents in the Divisional Secretariat of the Divisional Secretariat. Mr.L.K.Madhusha Sankalpa assumed duties as the present Divisional Secretary in October 2022 and He is committed to the development activities in the area.

Sources -

1 / Ceylon Civil List -1940 -1960

2 / Civil Service Administration in Ceylon –wishva warnapala -1974