19 August 2010 02:28 pm
The Opposition and UNP councilors of the Peliyagoda Urban Council (PUC) have urged the Chief Minister of the Western province to dissolve the municipal council or appoint a special commissioner to look into the administration as a result of alleged corruption and irregularities taking place at the council.
In a letter the councilors informed Chief Minister Prasanna Ranathunge about the alleged financial irregularities including providing contracts without tenders, dengue prevention campaigns, committing financial fraud by providing projects to private contractors, hiring employees to the urban council through the chairman’s sole decision, which have taken place for the last 3 years.
Special focus has been centered to an incident in which a sum of Rs 35 million was spent without necessary approval to clean the canal system within the Peliyagoda urban council.
Nine councilors serve at the Peliyagoda urban council while 6 UNP councilors serve in the opposition.
Municipal councilor Anton Biyanwila said the opposition party has lodged a complaint with the Commission of Bribery and Corruption against the arbitrary behavior of the chairman.
Therefore, several municipal projects have been stalled and land belonging to the council have been given to outside individuals without a tender.
An order has been issued to the commissioner of the Western province administration department to conduct an investigation into this municipal council immediately.
When Daily Mirror online queried regarding the investigation, the commissioner of the department, H. Sumanapaala said that he has received advice from the investigation director to commence investigations in the municipal council.
Subsequent to the investigation, a decision will be made to dissolve or to appoint a special commissioner for the municipal council. (Daily Mirror online)