Fonds LK-NA/47 - Nuwara Eliya Kachcheri

During the time of Kandyan kings Uda Hewaheta and Kotmale formed a portion of what was known as Ratahathe, and Walapone was a dissawani.
After the Kandyan convention of 1815, these divisions were administered by the agents of government or military officers under the Board of commissioners at Kandy. Later in 1833 Nuwaraeliya district was made an Assistant Agency and in it was included the three divisions and was stationed at Nuwaraeliya, the AGA was made directly responsible to the Government Agent of the Central Province.
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 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 kachcheri was made the co-ordinating office and the collector functioned, as the contacting officer between the British Government and the natives.
By the end of the 19 century there were separate sections in the kachcheri for the general administration, revenue, land matters, native affairs, irrigation, local government, social service, health etc.
Today the district comprises of four Assistant Government Agent divisions named as Nuwara Eliya, Walapone, Kotmale, Hanguranketha and Ginigathhena. According to tile administrative districts Act No.22 of 1955, NuwarEliya came to be constituted as a separate administrative district and was placed under a Government Agent.