BY

Mirudhula Thambiah

Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chairman, C.V.K. Sivagnanam replying to the allegations kept forward by the Opposition Leader S.Thavarasa said the TNA- council is definitely a better administrator.”We are better administrators. I’m responsible for what I’m saying. We are not second to any administrators, we have no corruption or any extortion,” he said.

Following are the excerpts:

Q:
Last week Opposition Leader Thavarasa said the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has progressed only up to 25.17 % over the past year. Is that correct and why couldn’t you progress more?

A: I totally deny the statement by Thavarsa. I don’t know what denominator he had used to arrive at the said percentage. According to our Provincial Council Budget and the Appropriation Act passed in December 2013, our total expenditure is Rs 15, 526 million.Our capital expenditure is Rs 1, 876 million. According to the progress review report by the Northern Chief Secretary,Rs 19, 481 million is the total expenditure of the NPC.

Q:
According to Thavarasa the total allocation for the NPC is Rs 5,831 million. Have you spent the entire amount?

A: Thavarasa has referred to a sum of Rs 5,831 million as capital expenditure allocations for the provincial council. He clearly states that this specific money was allocated by the government as capital expenditure for the NPC. I totally deny this.
I already said only Rs 1, 876 million is allocated as capital expenditure in the Budget for us. There is a balance of Rs 3,955 million and which is not included to our expenditure. This amount is allocated for six other projects.Allocations for these activities have been included in the provincial budget.

Q:
So what happened to the balance amount Rs 3,955 million ?

A: Other agencies were handling Rs 3,955 million. These agencies spend the amount and send it to the Chief Secretary and the Secretary of Finance, It will be charged under the National Budget head.

Q:
What are the projects carried out by the NPC?

A: We are only accountable for Rs 1,876 million, which is the capital expenditure of the NPC Budget for 2014.

Some of the NPC projects are UNICEF, 1,000 Schools Programme, health sector development projects and Iranamadu Project.

Q:
However there are allegations that the TNA – led NPC has not achieved anything during the past one year. What is your stand?

A: Thavarasa has many allegations against us. He mentioned that he waited for one year. He only assumed duties as the Opposition leader on 28 April 2014. He is in office for only six months.

He is speaking about not passing statutes. We are not copy cats. We have to make our own statutes to keep in touch with our own aspirations. Whenever we make statutes we refer to the statutes implemented in other provincial councils too.

He accused us for passing resolutions as well. We have already drafted statutes referring to education, health and transport. We have discussed the papers at the council meetings.

Q:
What exactly are the issues in passing financial statutes in the NPC?

A: I handled the financial statutes while getting the approval of the governor since it should be referred to him; I don’t blame the governor because I wrote to him and said it is based on the statutes of the Eastern Province. But the governor was advised to delete it. The rates should be decided on regulations published by the minister in the gazette. Governor was advised to insist on the deletion of this particular financial statute and said that should be decided by law.

He meant that it has to be a statute, it has to be approved, and it should be adapted to the statute making process even to determine the rates. This does not happen even in Parliament.

The governor wrote to me and said that he was advised by the highest level. Therefore I feel there is somebody else deciding on rate implementations.

Q:
What is the chaos on the Chief Minister’s Fund proposed by the NPC? It is said that the specific fund was passed during Varatharajaperumal’s time in the Eastern Province. Why was it rejected?

A: I accept that it was passed during Varatharajaperumal’s time. Thavarasa is accusing that NPC wants to get funds from all over the world, from Diaspora to anybody. Let him say that, I was directly involved in the drafting of this particular statute along with other provincial councilors. Even a word has not been made reference to the Diaspora.

The first paragraph of the statute refers to the contribution from the Government of Sri Lanka. We never referred to the Diaspora. Contributions can come from anybody. This is his hallucination. The word Diaspora is not in the draft.

Q:
Did NPC receive all the allocations given by the government?

A: It is the responsibility of the Chief Secretary to see whether the funds are being released. It is too premature for anybody to make judgments over our progress, because we are new to the process.
Our members will have to select their own allocations and utilizations amounting to Rs 150 million. These projects and proposals have been overlapping up to June. We have given it and all works are on progress. I’m satisfied that all the expenditure allocations have been committed.
We will finish paying for some of these projects by the end of this year. We will definitely spend 75%-80% of the allocations given to us. Therefore Thavarasa’s statement on us, failing to spend on projects shall be totally denied.

Q:
The President has said there is no hindrance and nobody holds the money allocated to NPC. But why does the NPC have continuous allegations of not proceeding further?

A: President has said there is no hindrance, but on 2 January when the Chief Minister met him. Chief Minister asked for special allocations since the Northern Province has some 80,000 widows, 15,000 destitute children and 18,000 disabled persons. He also said we should be able to mobilize funds from outside. President has said he will speak to the Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera regarding the mobilizing of funds, but nothing happened later.

Q:
What were the assurances given by President?

A: Chief Minister had spoken about the actions of the Governor, and President had asked to wait until his term is over. I think that is fair. But at the end of it, that did not happen and it was a broken promise.

Same thing happened on the matter of the Chief Secretary. The Chief Minister thinks when the promises are not kept up, what more can be done?

Q:
But NPC Opposition Leader says that you have not asked for any allocations. Is that correct?

A: I wrote a letter to the Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera requesting for money to expand the council due to space problem. The Treasury Secretary himself came to my office and allocated Rs 100 million and released it the following day. Therefore the Opposition Leader cannot say that we did not ask. Am I not from the TNA? I’m part of the TNA and I asked allocations.

Q:
There are allegations that the NPC is just passing resolutions but not normal statutes. Especially the council is just passing resolutions referring to the international community. Is that true?

A: This is a political statement. We will carry the aspirations of the people, the discriminations that have been suffered, the political victimization and the denial of political rights. We have given the promises to the people on these struggles and they have voted for us.

On 9 October we had a special discussion on land acquisition; we detailed the Banda-Chelva Pact and the Dudely Senanyake Pact. We said land matters come under the Provincial Council according to the 13th Amendment. Isn’t it a country resolution?

The next resolution was on vacating the military from the North. The resolution said they must vacate the private lands and buildings occupied.

There are 38 welfare centers in Valikamam North alone and 4,656 people living in camps, with relatives and friends and rented out houses, also 6,256 acres of land has been under the security forces in Valikamam North and Thenmarachi.

Is that not a resolution that is relevant to the NPC? We have demanded to release all political prisoners. They have been detained for many years.

We have passed resolutions urging the resettlement of people when the government says everyone has been resettled. We have discussed on the fishermen issues. There may be one or two resolutions connecting to the international community but that is also relevant to the Northern Province.

People of the North have voted for our manifesto. I don’t think we have passed any irrelevant resolution.

Q:
You say that people have voted for your manifesto. But certain parties say that you have just given false promises to secure votes. What is your justification?

A: We still continue to say the things in our manifesto. We have requested the President to vacate the security forces from our lands, we have been repeatedly saying, it has been five years since the end of war and they should vacate. We are not the President of the country. We can only ask, and agitate to win over the rights. We told the masses that we will fight for it. Likewise we are fighting for it. If it is not happening that is the matter of the decision of the government.

Q:
However, there are allegations that TNA led NPC does not participate in public meetings with the administrative heads. Is it true and why don’t you participate?

A: That is not true. We were present at all District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Meetings except the one headed by the President. Originally they have been confusing the Co-Chairman and finally when Chief Minister was made the Co-Chairman we did attend meetings. We agreed to participate and we did participate.

Q:
Why didn’t you participate in the last meeting headed by President himself?

A: The invitation was sent very late. It was just sent to us three days prior to the meeting. It was more of a public meeting.

We didn’t have an agenda. We were not given one. We didn’t know what was discussed. Even when the Government Agent discussed on the preparatory meetings, we were not called for it. Even the Chief Minister was not aware of it. We were totally side lined. It is just a matter of briefing us on the agenda, but nothing was explained to us. We are not observers, we are participants. We knew that people from all sectors will attend. We were wondering whether a relationship chance of speaking would be given to us.

Q:
Didn’t Parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah issue a notice to all TNA members to boycott President’s visit to the North?

A: He did release a statement. I don’t deny that. As far as the Yaal Devi issue is concerned, at least the DCC, we were sent an invitation. But for the railway arrivals of Yaal Devi, none of us were invited. So, why should we go? The whole world doesn’t know this drama.

Q:
Why is there a huge confusion on the Iranamadu Water Supply Project?

A: We are not opposing the Iranamadu Project. As the President said we want the fund to be raised in the first instance and if there is surplus it can be transferred to other water projects. That is not the issue now.

Instead of carrying out the project in whole, we thought of taking it in different phases. Once we complete the fund raising, we would make assessments and move forward. We are not against it, we wanted to do the project methodically and in three phases.

The NPC was keen to look after the interest of the Kilinochchi farmers. The farmers have a reasonable demand that the water should be distributed to the new agricultural areas in Kilinochchi. We were definitely thinking of satisfying the agricultural society of Kilinochchi.

But if there is a possibility of surplus, we shall consider of taking the project further to Jaffna, after satisfying the drinking water requirement and irrigation facility of the people of Kilinochchi.

Q:
It is said that TNA is fit to be an Opposition but not in the government as it is claimed you have failed to fulfill the aspirations of the people. You agree?

A: I deny that. People voted for me, since I have been identified as an administrator. I got Dr. P.B. Jayasundera to allocate a sum for the council with a piece of paper and pen. You think we don’t know administration? We are capable of doing things. If we don’t know administration I will not be able to explain the budget allocations.

Definitely we are better administrators. I’m responsible for what I’m saying. We are not second to any administrators we have no corruption or any extortion.

Q:
According to allegations the TNA led NPC does not function according to the 13th Amendment. What would you say?

A: Land matters have been there throughout our lives. We are affected by militarization and colonization. We are worried since the demographic pattern of our region is disturbed. It is a very important factor.

We definitely know that provincial council is a creation of the 13th Amendment. We have also said that this not a solution for our ethnic issue. We are not asking for a separation. We want a solution within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.

We are not able to handle our own affairs within the framework. Our people blame the Governor. I don’t blame the Governor, I blame the law. Section 32 and 33 of the Provincial Council Act should be totally amended. Even in India the Governor does not have the appointing authority. The State Governor in India is the Chief Executive, but they are not the appointing authority.

When there is a democratic Cabinet it should be devolved on them. We must have a certain amount of self administration within the framework. We want a structure in which we will be able to administrate to win over our land and protect our rights.

Q:
There are complains that the NPC ministers does not cooperate with the council members. We understand that there had been arguments between the ministers and the provincial councilors. Is that true?

A: There was a particular incident. It was just a minor matter. There was misunderstanding between a council member from Mullaitivu and one of the ministers when distributing paddy seeds.

There was a complaint over the minister that paddy seeds were not distributed in the Mullaitivu District but other districts were proritized.

There was no any other serious issue according to my knowledge. Other than that they are very supportive. I’m proud of my council and the ministers and the members are very capable.

Q:
Has there been any corruption activity taking place in the Nelsip Programme?

A: Issues have cropped up and we are examining into that. That is being inquired. Prior to us coming into office, Two engineers have been taking up tender procedures. As a result it looks like lots of corruption has occurred.

There have been high level of corruption and probably administers would have been mislead.

Q:
You say the militarization in the North has increased but the Opposition says that it has comparatively reduced. Justify your claim?

A: We are not worried whether the number has increased or decreased. But the enormous and unjustified presence of the military is there. They are all over the North. Certain security personnel can be there, but they have made establishments all over the place. It is totally unnecessary in a civil administration, especially after the end of the war five years ago. But there is a definite excessive presence of the security forces. We are telling about the Police. They are part of the civil administration. The military has been acquiring and grabbing our land.

Q:
What is the situation of the land acquisition allegations in Valikamam North?

A: The Army is planning to resettle people in Valalaai instead of Valikamam North, but they should be aware that they will again resettle them in some other owners’ land. We are opposing this settlement.
Resettling them in some other area will affect their location, livelihood and their old lands ownership. We want them to be resettled in their own homes. We have written to the President on this issue.

Q:
Last week Opposition Leader Thavarasa said that it is important to wait for the correct moment to ask for land and Police Powers. What is your stand on both these powers for NPC?

A: Waiting for the correct moment will not end. State land belongs to republic, that is the constitutional law and we accept it. The land is a provincial subject under the 13th Amendment. Acquisition of land has to be in consultation with the Provincial Council.

We want Police powers as well, for the moment land powers would be the biggest problem.

Q:
It has been one year since the NPC came in to power but none of the administrative offices have statistical information for specific subjects like children affected by shrapnels and landmines. What is the reason?

A: It is the lack of cooperation between the NPC and the administrative bodies. The public officers through instructions and intimidations have been advised not to cooperate with us.

Q:
The NPC has passed resolutions regarding UN investigations. What is your stand?

A: There should justice in this world if somebody has done anything wrong they should be punished. Our people have unnecessarily suffered. Let the war crimes process go on, that has been internationalized.

Q:
Are you still for separatism?

A: Thamil Eelam is not separation. It is the name for our motherland, the North-East territory. Only when said, Thani (separate) Thamil Eelam it refers to separation. We are not referring to Thani Thamil Eelam. Our election manifesto does not say that.

Q:
Opposition Leader Thavarasa had called the NPC for a debate. Would you participate?

A: Thavarasa is a member of the Provincial Council. The council is a forum for debate. Why should we go on the street for a debate?

Let him come and let us discuss. It is the forum of the representatives of the people. We are ready to discuss anything and everything.

Courtesy:Ceylon Today