Governor Thiagarajah reads riot act to northern politicians

By Dinasena Ratugamage

The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has misused the annual allocations from the government for a long time, Governor of the province, Jeevan Thiagarajah alleged on Tuesday in Vavuniya.

The NPC had not spent the annual budgetary allocations it received from the government and there were many irregularities in the way money was spent, he said.

During a meeting with government officials at the District Secretariat – Vavuniya, Governor Thiagarajah said NPC politicians had abused and victimised state officials. He had received many such complaints, he said.

“Each year, the NPC sends back a significant amount of money it receives from the government. These are often funds earmarked for capital expenditures. There must be some mechanism involving the government and NPC officials about spending the annual financial allocations,” Thiagarajah said.

The Governor also said that he would take action against politicians and state officials who were involved in irregularities. In the near future, he would take action to rehabilitate all irrigation tanks in the Northern Province.

“There are a lot of farmers in the province. Restoring these tanks will greatly benefit many people. If these tanks are operational, we can also develop livestock development,” he said.