By Prageeth Janaka

A group of ruling party and Opposition ranks in the Embilipitiya Urban Council launched a hunger strike opposite the council building on Tuesday protesting against how the council budget had been passed.

Chairman of the Council Lalith Gamage said that there had been no untoward incident or irregularity in the procedure adopted to pass the UC’s 2021 budget and he had done so within the provisions made in the Municipal and Urban Councils Act. Some members had boycotted the meeting, he said.

Protesting members said that the UC Chairman had misled them by holding a ceremony to declare open the newly renovated ground floor of the Urban Council and getting the budget passed while the Council members opposing him were at the ceremony. The opening ceremony had been scheduled to be held under the patronage of Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon and Sabaragamuwa Province Governor on Tuesday morning. However, they did not come and the SLPP Kolonna Chief Organiser Sunny Rohana opened the building. Among those present were the Chief Sanghanayake of Dhakkina Lanka Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera and Chief Incumbent of Sripada Ven Bengamuwe Dhammadinna Thera.

Speaking at the ceremony SLPP Chief Organiser Rohana found fault with SLPP members of the Council for conspiring to defeat the budget with the help of the UNP and other party members. He said that some SLPP Council members had sold themselves to the Opposition. While the ceremony was in progress, the Council meeting taking up the budget vote continued with only three Council members and its Chairman Lalith Gamage present. Two SLPP members Priyantha Kumara and Sarath Witharana and JVP member Susil Welendagodage were present at the meeting that concluded with an announcement that the budget 2021 had been passed with majority of votes.

Other members arrived at the council chamber, and shouted against the passage of the budget.

The SLPP holds the power in the Embilipitiya Urban Council with eight members including the Chairman while the UNP has three members, SLFP one member and JVP one member. The council comprises 13 members but recently one member resigned.