Kandy - The Kandy Municipal Council was conspicuous by its absence at a meeting that discussed the dengue epidemic in the Central Province held at the Central Provincial Governor’s Secretariat yesterday 15.

Provincial Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa chaired the meeting convened by the Central Provincial Ministry of Health.

The meeting was called to review the situation of the Central Province following the out break of dengue which has claimed 14 deaths this year, while Kandy city limits are identified as a vulnerable area.

Kobbekaduwa and the Provincial Health Minister Ediriweera Weerawardena found fault with the Kandy Municipal Council for the absence of a representative at the important meeting.

Governor Kobbekaduwa remarked that the Kandy Municipal Council was not interested in important matters like the spread of dengue and lives of the citizens, but was interested in putting up unauthorised structures in the town.

The Municipal Council should have been represented at the meeting, the Governor said.

Central Province Health Minister Ediriweera Weerawardana, said that the political leadership had the responsibility to play an important role in the campaign to eradicate dengue.

It is regrettable that the Kandy Municipal Council and many of the Chairpersons of the Pradeshiya Sabhas are not present at the meeting, the Minister said.

He said that the Chairman of Tumpane Pradeshiya Sabha, Upali Kumarasinghe was the only one to attend the meeting.