Acting President of the ITAK, C.V.K. Sivagnanam — who is also a former Jaffna Municipal Commissioner and former Chairman of the Northern Provincial Council — has alleged that a property belonging to the Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) was fraudulently transferred to private ownership, with even the council’s own asset registry records allegedly altered to conceal the transfer.
Sivagnanam further claimed that municipal taxes were being paid to the same council by those who had obtained the property through fraudulent means.
Speaking at a recent press conference at his office in Kalviyankadu, Jaffna, Sivagnanam described the incident as “a serious administrative fraud that must be fully investigated.”
Municipal Property Reportedly Illegally Transferred
According to Sivagnanam, the disputed property lies east of the former Jaffna Municipal Council building, opposite its old main gate. The building once functioned as an annex office of the JMC and had been legally purchased by the council decades ago.
However, he said that during a recent visit, he discovered that the premises were no longer under municipal control and appeared to be occupied by private parties.
“Investigations revealed that a forged deed had been executed for this property, and that entries in the JMC’s asset and tax registers were also manipulated to show the ownership change,” Sivagnanam said.
A Site of Historical Importance
He noted that the upper floor of the same building holds historical value — it was the site where K.M. Sellappa, the founder of the Jaffna Public Library, first established the institution.
“This fact is recorded in the Silver Jubilee souvenir of the Jaffna Municipal Council, which was published during my tenure as the council’s accountant,” Sivagnanam said.
He explained that the property had originally been private land, but was purchased by the JMC.
Complaint to Authorities
Sivagnanam said he had written to the Jaffna Municipal Commissioner, urging immediate action to reclaim the property and investigate the alleged forgery. Copies of the letter were also sent to the Mayor of Jaffna and the Governor of the Northern Province.
He added that the irregularity appears to have arisen after 2006, when the property ceased to be treated as a municipal asset. A temporary business establishment is now operating on the site, which, he believes, was not officially leased out.
Call for Investigation
“I have stressed that this property must be recovered and those responsible for the fraud must be identified,” Sivagnanam said.
“If a municipal property can be transferred and its records altered within the council’s own register, it reflects the gravity of administrative decay.”
He urged the Municipal Commissioner and the Governor of the Northern Province to take up the matter and ensure that all individuals involved in the alleged fraud are exposed and prosecuted.
