Chief Minister orders probe into Kandy MC

by Jayasinghe Premaratne

Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake said he has directed the Provincial Commissioner of Local Government to make initial investigations into an allegation of misuse of power and contravention of the Municipal Council Ordinance made against the present UNP administration of the Kandy Municipal Council by the Council's opposition group.

The Chief Minister said following this directive, the Provincial Commissioner of Local Government has assigned officials to carry out this investigation and he as the subject Minister of Local Government in the Central Provincial Council was awaiting their report to take action.

Opposition MMCs Sarath Wijesinghe, Sanjeewa Hulangamuwa, Anura Kulatunge, Anura Kumara Gonawala and Rohitha Lal Dharmasiri led by opposition leader Sena Dissanayake are boycotting meetings of the Kandy Municipal Council ever since they walked out of the council meeting on March 30.

They have written to the Chief Minister, who is also Provincial Minister of Local Government levelling 10 allegations against the UNP administration of the Municipal Council and requesting him to probe them.

The allegations include financial mismanagement, distribution of public property among political stooges, non-execution of Court Orders issued against illegal constructions, misuse of public funds, Administrative inefficiency, ignoring illegal actions of political favourites, non- collection of revenue, failure to take disciplinary action against errant officials, lethargic action against damage to environment caused by the public and aiding and abetting bribery and corruption.