Local Councils headed by eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan’s Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) are being probed for alleged financial irregularities, misuse of state vehicles and illegal appointments following a fallout with the government.
Eastern province Governor Mohan Wijewickrema said yesterday an ‘audit probe’ on various irregularities was being carried out.
The probe came after Chief Minister Chandrakanthan’s party refused to contest the April 8 parliamentary
elections on the UPFA ticket and contested on its own. This caused a split in the vote and the UPFA reportedly lost a seat each in the Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts, a UPFA official said.
The Sunday Times learns that other complaints against the Eastern Provincial Council itself are also being probed.
Among the allegations is that Local Government Commissioner M. Thayabaran had bought solar power units worth about Rs. 10 million without the Governor’s approval.
It is also alleged that more than 1,000 persons were trained to be sent for employment in South Korea after obtaining Rs. 200,000 each from them, but none of them got the jobs. Another deal under probe is the purchase of computers for the council.Most of the local councils in the Eastern Province are controlled by TMVP members though they contested the local polls on the UPFA ticket.
The UPFA leadership had repeatedly requested Mr. Chandrakanthan to scrap his party and join the SLFP, but he refused and continued with his party.
At the parliamentary elections the TMVP was offered nominations to contest in Jaffna, Wanni, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts, but the party opted to contest the east on its own and obtained some 16,000 votes. |
E-mail
