The Committee Stage debate of the budget commenced today.
Twenty five Expenditure Heads, including that of the president and the prime minister were passed in parliament, without amendments.
Chief Opposition Whip,Anura Kumara Dissanayake questioned as to what the criteria are, when operating the president’s fund.
He pointed out that Rs. 21.9 mn has been spent from the fund for the former prime minister to obtain medicine. Rs10.9 mn has been spent for former minister Keheliya Rambukwella.
“Minister John Amaratunga there is an allocation for you as well. Even Harisson has an allocation”, charged the Chief Opposition Whip who added that when ‘you’ were in the opposition, there were allocations as well but a villager has to undergo many hardships to find Rs.175 000 to get a regular heart surgery.
Minister of Highways and Higher Education, Lakshman Kiriella charged that the petition against the Independent Television Network has been forwarded to the Bribery Commission, and the issues relating to the Avant Garde reports pertaining to the Welisara armoury, the plantation companies in Chilaw and Kurunegala have been sent two weeks ago.
He added that this will be forwarded to the relevant institutions by the legal section of the Presidential Secretariat.
In regard to questions that were raised about the presidential commissions of inquiry, the minister noted that officials will be appointed, starting from January 2017.
“He also raised questions about a statement made by his excellency the president. I would like to tell this to him – the president never told anyone to stop investigations”, said Minister Kiriella
Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe noted that the president gave up a part of his powers through the 19th Amendment to the constitution but even though the powers have reduced, the duties have not. And the president now has a new task of ensuring national unity.
He added that this is a massive step taken after D.S. Senanayake in the past – and it has become a new task that would create an identity to Sri Lankans because there are Sinhalese extremists, there are Muslim extremists as well as Tamil extremists.
“We cannot leave room for extremism. We can be from Royal. If we came from Royal put it up there as well”, said the Premier
He added that the president and the former president would condemn these.
He further charged that the media can publish anything they want, if they are trying to boost sales by highlighting such issues then the media will be looked in to separately, he said.
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