Jaffna Mayor accused of abuse of authority

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 April 2010, 17:15 GMT]
Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) opposition and public organizations including Jaffna Traders Union (JTU) have raised strong protests against ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Jaffna Mayor Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam for abuse of authority, particularly in erecting a Buddha statue on Jaffna Main Street and in attempts to hand over the Jaffna Public Library canteen to Sinhalese caretakers from South, sources in Jaffna said. The Thursday meeting of JMC had to be called off as arguments against the erection of Buddha statue ended in chaos, the sources added.

Amidst strong protests raised by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, Saiva and cultural organizations in Jaffna peninsula against the proposed construction of a star hotel in the land where the palace of last Tamil King of Jaffna Kingdom Sangkilian had stood and in the sacred vicinity of historically famous Nalloor Kanthasuvami temple, ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Jaffna Mayor, Ms. Yogewary Patkunam has decided to permit construction of the said star hotel.

Meanwhile, the present caretaker of Jaffna Public Library is demanded by Jaffna Mayor to handover the canteen to a Sinhalese caretaker from the South.

The said canteen is rented out by calling tenders and so far it had been run by Tamil caretakers in the peninsula.

Meanwhile, Jaffna Traders Union protests strongly against the Mayor for allowing Sinhalese traders from South to illegally set up business in Jaffna.