Chairman of the Kesbewa Urban Council Lakshman Perera with the consent of Minister Gamini Lokuge has made arrangements to hold the New Year festival at the Somaweera Chandrasiri Ground on April 14th and 15th.

The Kesbewa Urban Council, Divisional Secretariat and the police are working together to organize the event. In order to secure sponsorships for the event, Lakshman Perera had written letters on the Urban Council letterheads on March 17, 2012 and sent them to businessmen and state and private banks. The letters have outlined the estimated costs for the New Year festivities and the musical show.

The letter has requested that banks provide a minimum of Rs. 300,000 for the event while the businessmen have been asked to give Rs. 50,000 each to organize the event.

Some of the estimated costs are Rs. 30,000 as the first prize for climbing the greased poll, Rs. 20,000 for publicity work, Rs. 120,000 for transport, Rs. 7,500 as first prize for coconut scraping competition, Rs. 5,000 for organizing work, Rs. 60,000 to dress the Avurudhu Kumari, Rs. 35,000 for publicity work, Rs. 20,000 as the first prize for the Singithi Avurudhu Kumari, Rs. 35,000 publicity work for it, Rs. 50,000 for refreshments, Rs. 75,000 for other expenses and Rs. 500,820 for coordination work.

The event is to have 33 games and the total cost is estimated at Rs. 53 lakhs and the monies have been asked to be deposited to the account of Lakshman Perera Foundation.

The opposition has then decided to move a motion in the Council asking that the monies be deposited in the Council’s welfare account. However, after hearing the plan, five governing party members have agreed to support the motion and it was adopted in the Council. Meanwhile, it is learnt that efforts are now being taken to get Council employees to write letters expressing their objection to depositing the monies in the Council’s welfare account.

-Lankatruth