Grama Seva Niladharis will not be appointed to a post from outside areas. Interviews are currently on to select 2500 GSNs out of a 6,000 who passed the required examination. A total of 235,000 sat the examination.

Public Administration Ministry Secretary Dharmasena Dissanayake said that only candidates who have passed the examination from a particular Grama Niladhari Division would be interviewed for appointment to that division.

In the past, selection was on merit alone which resulted in people from far away places being appointed to certain divisions. "A Grama Niladhari is supposed to know each and every person in his division personally but by appointing candidates from far away places problems were created for the residents."