A tense atmosphere surfaced at the monthly meeting of the Maharagama UC yesterday when the report of the Standing Committee on Finance was taken up for discussion and the chairperson walked out without answering members’ questions.

When the report was taken up the Leader of the Opposition Rodney Presser questioned about the building purchased by the UC for the Sisilasa park public library in Boralesgamuwa. He said that the building purchased for Rs.10.2 million during the UNP regime had been abandoned for seven years and now the UC was planning to use it for other purposes.  The chairperson said the National Library Services Board had not recommended the building for a library. Heated arguments ended in fisticuffs between the opposition members and those of the ruling party when member Ruwan Jayasinghe requested the chairperson to produce the relevant documents. (Muditha Dayananda)