P. S. M. Charles
Prince Sarojini Manmatharajah Charles (Tamil: பிரின்ஸ் சரோஜினி மன்மதராஜா சார்ள்ஸ், romanized: Piriṉs Carōjiṉi Maṉmatarājā Cārḷs) is a Sri Lankan Tamil civil servant and the current Governor of the Northern Province.
P. S. M. Charles | |
---|---|
பி. எஸ். எம். சார்ள்ஸ் | |
7th Governor of the Northern Province | |
Assumed office 30 December 2019 | |
President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
Preceded by | Suren Raghavan |
Personal details | |
Political party | Independent |
Alma mater | University of Jaffna |
Occupation | Civil servant |
Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Charles is a Catholic and the daughter of a school principal.[1] She has a degree from the University of Jaffna and masters degrees in disaster management and business administration from the University of Peradeniya and Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.[2][3]
Charles was Additional District Secretary (AGA) for Vavuniya District before becoming District Secretary (GA) for the district in October 2008.[2][3] Following the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War Charles was the senior civil servant in charge of the internment camps for 300,000 residents from Vanni.[4][5] She was appointed District Secretary for Batticaloa District in May 2012.[6][7]
Charles was appointed Director General of Sri Lanka Customs in September 2017.[8][9] She was removed from the post in January 2019, allegedly after refusing to give into government pressure in respect of investigations into 143 suspicious cargo containers.[10][11] She was re-instated swiftly following industrial action by customs workers.[12][13]
Charles was appointed secretary of the Ministry of Healthcare and Indigenous Medical Services in November 2019.[14][15] She was sworn in as Governor of the Northern Province on 30 December 2019.[16][17]
References
- Daniel, Shannine (4 February 2018). "An Interview With Sarojini Charles, The DG Of Sri Lanka Customs". Roar Media. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Batticaloa DS appointed Customs DG". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Charles new DG Customs". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Ms. P.S.M.Charles to be Governor of Sri Lanka's Tamil-speaking Northern Province". Middle East North Africa Financial Network. Amman, Jordan. NewsIn.Asia. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Interview with top government official on IDP camps, returns". The New Humanitarian. Geneva, Switzerland. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Govt. reshuffles GAs". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Jaffna GA transferred to Presidential Secretariat - report". Colombo Page. Indianapolis, U.S.A. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Batticaloa Government Agent P.S.M. Charles appointed Customs Director General". Daily News. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- Karunaratna, Sanchith (26 September 2017). "Cabinet appoints new Director General of Customs". Ada Derana. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Protests intensify over Customs head appointment". Daily FT. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Charles' Removal Linked To Probe On 143 Containers: Mangala's Coordinating Secretary, Finance Min. Secretary Have Given Unlawful Orders: Sirisena Stirring Up Issues Behind The Scenes". Colombo Telegraph. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- Bandara, Kelum (5 February 2019). "P.S.M.Charles reinstated as Customs DG". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "P.S.M. Charles reinstated as Custom's Director General". News First. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Twenty new Ministry Secretaries appointed". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "President appoints secretaries to 20 ministries". Colombo Page. Indianapolis, U.S.A. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "P.S.M. Charles appointed NP Governor". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- "Top civil servant Charles appointed Governor NP". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.