A swimming pool project at the Central College in Jaffna has been abruptly put on hold after some Rs. 14 million was pumped into it, the school’s Principal L. Ongaranpillai said yesterday.
 |
| The school swimming pool that was allegedly built in order to catch votes rather than benefit the students |
The project was started in 2008 by MP Namal Rajapaksa and the authorities promised to complete it within a year, but the project now appears to have gone into the doldrums, Mr. Ongaranpillai said.
Furthermore, the primary school’s playground and basketball court have been used to dump soil and other building materials, thus hampering the students’ sports and recreation activities, he added.
He further warned that the incomplete pool was posing a serious health hazard, with stagnant rainwater creating a breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other insects.
“Initially, the project was launched under the Tharuniyata Hetak programme, and it was thrust on us. We never asked for a pool then, and we haven’t asked for one since,” the principal said.
Principal L. Ongaranpillai said the project was a ploy to gather votes at the elections that were coming up at the time. “I have made several representations to the relevant authorities in this regard, but to no avail,” the principal said. |
E-mail
