While the elected members of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) on Thursday passed the inaugural budget of the NPC after 3 days of sittings at their secretariat in Kaithadi, Colombo’s military governor of North, Major General (retd) G.A. Chandrasiri on Friday hastily summoned the officials and secretaries of various ministries to a conference at Koappaay College of Education and told the officials that the budget was not valid until he approved particular sections of the budget. The TNA was not abiding by the Sri Lankan Constitution in preparing the budget, he has told the officials.
Giving a ‘lecture’ on the powers of the governor in the Northern Provincial Council administration, the ex-commander of the occupying SL military warned the officials not to cooperate with the councillors whom, according to him, don’t respect the Constitution of the Sri Lankan State.
The officials told media they were under heavy pressure from the SL Governor not to listen to what the elected councillors tell them.
In the meantime, the NPC has passed a resolution urging the SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint a civil governor of non-military background. Another resolution has demanded the withdrawal of SL military from North.
However, the occupying Colombo has dismissed the demands and the term of the SL military governor has been reportedly extended by the SL president
TN