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Chief Minister tells officials and members:
Meet public on Wednesday
Lakshmi DE SILVA
All officials and members of the Western Provincial Council should
set apart Wednesday to meet the public at their offices without taking
up any other matters except in the instance of a national problem, Chief
Minster Prasanna Ranatunga said at his first press conference at
Shrawasthi Mandiraya Colombo yesterday.
All Provincial Council officials and members should ensure that no
other engagements are made in their working diary on Wednesday as it is
important for the public to be able to bring up their problems, before
the Provincial Council members and officials. "The public voted for us
to serve them and we should not forget that our main duty is to serve
them," he said.
There were incidents in the past of corrupt officials defrauding
Council funds, but no one will be allowed to resort to bribery or
corruption and legal steps would be taken against those suspected of
such misconduct, the Chief Minister said. However teachers and
principals will be entertained on the public day after schools are
closed, he noted.
"During the past 15 years, as an elected member of the Western
Provincial Council, I have found out the attendance at the Consultative
Committee meetings was slack and members should pay more attention to
attend such meetings as many problems could be resolved if all members
cooperated in the affairs of the Provincial Council," the Chief Minister
said.
Answering a question about Colombo's acute garbage problem, the Chief
Minister said there were three stakeholders, the Colombo Municipal
Council, the Western Provincial Council and the Central Government who
had to handle this major problem that had gone on with stop gap measures
taken to address it.
"However Minister Udaya Gammanpila, who as former Chairman of the
Central Environmental Authority had the experience and the know how, we
believe that Colombo garbage problem could be resolved within a
reasonable time. Individually the Provincial Council or the Colombo
Municipal Council could not resolve this major issue but a collective
effort was needed," Ranatunga said.
Western Provincial Council Secretary Victor Samaraweera said there
were instances of irregularities and corruption in the past, but the new
council will not allow such things in the future. The door is open for
persons of that nature as they could not start such things again under
the new administration, he said.
Provincial Council Ministers Udaya Gammanpila, Upali Kodikara and
Jagath Angage also spoke.
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WPC first session on May 28
The first session of the Western Provincial Council will be held on
May 28 at which the Election of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the
Council would be held.
Governor Alavi Mowlana will read the policy statement of the council
for the first year.
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