Fonds LK-NA/38 - Kurunegala Kachcheri

Kurunegala was once the capital of the Kings of Ceylon and situated in the North Western Province. The North Western Province was created in 1845 and the Revenue districts of Chilaw, Puttalam, and Kurunegala were attached to the new province, The Government Agent of the North Western Province was stationed in Puttalum. Kurunegala was administered by an Assistant Government Agent from 1845.
The military and civil duties exercised by the Disawa were separated. Accordingly, the collection of revenue the maintenance of law and order through headmen system, the enforcement of the cast service, and extraction of the customary service were entrusted to the collector. All the regulations of the government were published and enforced through the kachcheri.
The Kachchceri was made the coordinating office and the collector functioned as the contacting officer between the British Government and the natives.
By the end of the 19th century there were separate sections in the Kachcheri for the general administration, revenue, land matters, native affairs, irrigation, local government, social service, health etc.
The Administrative District Act of 1955 transferred the Assistant Government Agencies at Puttalarn into Government Agency and therefore Kurunegala District defined to tile divisions of Wanni Hatpattu, Dewamedi Hatpattu, Hiriyala Hatpattu, Katugampola Hatpattu, Weudawili Hatpauu and Dambadeni Hatpattu.
(1) The Old Administrative district was abolished in 1955 and new administrative district established according to the Act No.22 of 1953