Public Service Commission

Dr. Dayasiri Fernando  served as a Commissioner, Public Service Commission from 2006 to 2009  and was reappointed as its Chairman in 2011. He was the former Dean and Founder Professor of Surgery  of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.  On several occasions he has acted for the Vice Chancellor. He was a member of the Sri Lanka Medical Council from 2006 to 2011.

Dr. Dayasiri Fernando is the pioneer of the subspeciality of  Gastroenterology in Sri Lanka  and is the Patron of the Sri Lanka Gastroenterology Society.  He is a past President of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka and a past Vice President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association.
In the international field, he was a member of the Governing Council of the Asia Pacific Society of Digestive Endoscopy, from 1985 to 2005.

He has also served as a Commissioner of the National Salary Review Commission in 1995 and a as member of the Committee  on National Health Policy  and Medical Education,  and  Commission  of Prison Reforms.
Dr. Fernando is a Director of the Lanka Hospitals Corp. PLC and a  member of the Board of Governors of S. Thomas’ College.

Mr Kumarasinghe, a Lawyer with over 30 years of experience in Civil, Commercial and Corporate Law, is a President’s Counsel.

Mr. Kumarasinghe served as a Member of the Commission in the previous terms from April 2006 to April 2009 and was re-appointed to the Commission for the 2nd time.

He has specialized in Commercial Law and Banking Law and  is a retainer for several Commercial, Merchant Banks and Finance Companies. He has served as a Vice President and Executive Committee Member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and was the President of the Colombo Law Society during the period 2003 - 2005.

Mr.  Kumarasinghe is a Member of the Incorporated Council of Legal Education, controlling body of Sri Lanka Law College and Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, a Member of its Board of Studies and the Chairman of Law College Hostel Committee.

He is the Chairman of the Environmental Council established under the National Environment Authority Act since June 2010. He was a Member of the Advisory Commission on Intellectual Property and is a Director of Sri Lanka Law College Foundation.

Mr. Kumarasinghe is the Chairman of Disciplinary Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, the Chairman of Legal Affairs Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket and he is also an Independent Director of Laugfs Gas PLC.

Mrs. Wijeratne graduated with B.A. (Gen.) Degree from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya and was appointed in the Public Service as a Teacher and Principal in 1964 and 1974 respectively.  She thereafter pursued her Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Colombo in 1972 and further augmented her field of study by successfully reading for Diploma in Educational Management and Administration at the National Institute of Educational Management, India in 1983.

As a Class I officer of the Sri Lanka Education Service, Mrs. Wijeratne has gained a wide knowledge and expertise in varied administrative and managerial aspects of the education sector in Sri Lanka.  Her long period of dedicated public service spanning over four decades has groomed herself into an efficient educationist.

She has served as a Resource Person in projects carried out by the National Institute of Education.  She was also an appointed Commissioner of the previous Public Service Commission from 2006 to 2009.

Mr. Mannapperuma graduated from the University of Ceylon (Peradeniya) in 1967 and obtained  his Masters Degree at Australian National University, Canberra in 1983.

Mr. Mannapperuma joined the Sri Lanka Administrative Service in 1970 and his long public service spanning over 35 years saw him being fitted into responsible positions in the various institutions in the government and semi-government sectors with the ascendancy to the apex post of Secretary in three key Ministries – namely the Ministry of Trade and Shipping, the Ministry of Fisheries and  Ocean Resources and the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs respectively.

He has represented the GOSL abroad in several significant official delegations.  After retirement he has held positions as Member of the Appeals Panel, National Police Commission, the  Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the National Salaries and Cadres Commission.

Mr. Seneviratne initially read for his B.A. Degree at the University of Ceylon and later switched his area of study to Law.  He was successful in obtaining an LLB with 2nd Class Honours. He was also a Sports Coloursman during his studentship at his Alma Mater, Royal College, Colombo and University of Ceylon.

Mr. Seneviratne joined the Police Service in 1951 and served in many parts of the island holding high ranks and was elevated to the post of Inspector General of Police which was the top most position in the Police Department.  His  stints of overseas training in different aspects of policing had also groomed him to be a disciplined and dedicated serviceman.

After retirement from Police Service in 1985 he assumed duties as a diplomat with the appointment to the post of High Commissioner in Malaysia by the GOSL for three years.  He was also an Advisor to  Hon. Lalith Athulathmudali, the then Minister of National Security, after his return from Malaysia.

Mr. Pathirana,  B.A. Degree holder from the University of Peradeniya fittingly supplemented it with wider spectrum of postgraduate level  qualifications involving public policy analysis and implementation, human resource planning and management and advanced  management development here in Sri Lanka and abroad.

Taking up appointment in the Public Service as an SLAS officer in 1973, Mr. Pathirana counts more than 30 years of service encompassing both the administrative and development spheres of the public administration.  He held a range of key positions island-wide  throughout his career such as Senior Assistant Secretary to the Office of the Prime Minister and Director General of Establishments.

Mr. Thillanadarajah joined the Public Service in 1967 following his secondary education and was appointed to Sri Lanka Administrative Service in 1978.  He was promoted to Class I of the SLAS in 1989 and has served in several top management positions including Director/Fisheries, Actg. Secretary/Food, Trade & Cooperatives (NEP), Govt. Agent/Dist. Secretary and Addl. Secretary/Ministry of Education.

Fully conversant in all three languages viz., Tamil, Sinhala and English and computer  literate,   Mr. Thillanadarajah is a versatile administrator par excellence and counts more than 45 years of active public service to date.  Local and overseas training has further honed his skills as an outstanding resource person of the state in the spheres of Establishment, District Administration, Rural Development, Financial Management as well as Disaster Management.

He has served as an Appeal Panel Member of the National Police Commission and was also attached to the Finance Commission as a Consultant and Translator.

Mr. Ariyawansa following his graduation as a B.A. Degree  holder pursued  Postgraduate Diploma in Development Policy and Planning (UK) and Diploma in Regional Industrial Development to add to his wide repertoire of academic qualifications.  Local and overseas training in key areas such as project management, regional  planning and plan implementation made him a professional in his field.

As a Sri Lanka Planning Service Officer in the Public Service, during his long illustratious career, held posts of Assistant Director and Deputy Director in the Ministry of Plan Implementation and Ministry of Policy Planning and Implementation  respectively and was a Project Director, Integrated Rural Development Project, Gampaha.  He was promoted to Class I of the SLPS and served as a Senior Assistant Secretary and then as an Additional Secretary to the President until his retirement from the Public Service.  He also served in the Presidential Task Forces and Committees from time to time.

Mr. Nahiya, a graduate (B.A.) of the University of Colombo (1972), Postgraduate  Diploma holder in Education of the University of Jaffna (1982/83) and a certificate  holder in General Management of SLIDA  (1991/92).

He has served  as the Vice Principal of Zahira College, Colombo from where he joined the Public Service and held several positions like  Asst. Director of Tamil Affairs, Asst. Commissioner General of Essential Services, Director/Rehabilitation, Director General/Rehabilitation, Director General/Fisheries Housing and Welfare and an Advisor/Consultant, Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage.  He was also serving as a member of Cabinet appointed National Delimitation Committee  for Divisional Secretariats and Grama Niladhari Divisions (2010/2012).

He served in several National Steering Committees and Cabinet appointed negotiating teams, and also participated in a good number of seminars, training programs and conferences both in Sri Lanka and abroad.

He possesses  wide and varied professional exposure in the  fields of General Management, Educational Management,  Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Resettlement,  Infrastructure Development, Housing, Productivity and Human Resource Development.  He authored 3 books and    edited 11 books, one of which is a souvenir titled, “North-East Sri Lanka – a compendium”  published by North-East Provincial Council to mark the 50^th anniversary  of independence of Sri Lanka (1948 – 1998) and  also contributed more than 100 articles to standard publications.