Stadium opening hangover

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
After the ball is over and the guests are gone.... come the problems, one by one. This is the sobering experience of Jaffna Municipal Commissioner V. P Balasingham, who has been asked to settle bills for which no receipts seem forthcoming!

It appears that in the rush to expediate the opening of the Duraiappa Stadium yesterday, the Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) had asked the Sri Lankan Army to 'assist' the council by purchasing certain items for the opening ceremony and providing the necessary transport arrangements for the function.

The JMC had thought it fit to ask the SLA for assistance in the first place because the army had been responsible for zealously initiating, securing funds and speeding up the stadium renovation project.

But unhappy JMC sources lamented today that the SLA's spirit of cooperation over the stadium project had not lasted the night.

The SLA does not appear to have the bills for some of the expenditures it made and even for the services it had readily provided during the opening of the stadium yesterday. The SLA is apparently demanding reimbursement nevertheless.

So the hapless Municipal Commissioner is wondering how he can pay these hefty sums to the SLA - and subsequently justify it to the auditors!