Indika Jayalath of the Independent Group, who supported the ruling party in securing power in the Agalawatta Pradeshiya Sabha, has submitted his resignation letter today (26) to the Chairman of the Agalawatta Pradeshiya Sabha, Lalith Kumarasinghe, stepping down from his position as Deputy Chairman.
Accordingly, he is set to resign from the post of Deputy Chairman today, marking one year since he was sworn into office, according to informed sources.
In his resignation letter, he has also stated that he will step down from his roles in the Finance and Policy Committee as well as the Industrial Services Committee.
He further noted that the Agalawatte town remains in a dilapidated condition due to the failure to properly implement town development plans. He also cited the suspension of work on a two-acre land plot allocated from the Dullwella area, which was intended to ease congestion at the Mathugama courthouse and facilitate the establishment of a court complex and a new police station in Agalawatte, reportedly due to political pressure. In addition, he referred to the lack of support for a proposal to establish a ‘Hela Bojun’ restaurant and a shopping complex on land released by the Divisional Secretary.
He further pointed to the continued obstruction in demolishing a dilapidated building at Agalawatte junction, which he described as a public and schoolchildren safety hazard, as well as the failure to prioritize constructing a new toilet system to replace the existing deteriorated public facilities in the town.
He also alleged that nearly Rs. 40 million in council funds has been kept as a “huge balance” in the bank, causing inconvenience to the public, and stated that requests to grant authority to install a solar street lighting system and to illuminate the remaining 11 wards using his personal funds were not approved.
In addition, he stated that a detailed report he submitted, which was reportedly appreciated by senior officials as a solution to the country’s energy crisis, was disregarded by the NPP team, including the Chairman, without being properly reviewed. He further added that what he described as narrow-minded political neglect, including the failure to maintain the Ridirekhagama road, contributed to his decision to resign from his post.
