Rs. 56 billion supplementary allocation withdrawn by Govt.

• Opposition slams Rs. 19 m allocation for Kiriella’s residence, Rs. 42 m for Opposition leader vehicle
• Kiriella withdraws document with denial, plans to resubmit after changes

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

The increasing pressure from the Opposition benches led the Government to withdraw a supplementary allocation of Rs. 56,545,947,370 immediately after it was tabled yesterday in Parliament.

The supplementary allocation, which was mistaken as a supplementary estimate was a standard report tabled from time to time to keep the House informed of the expenses incurred by the Government covering a period of two months highlighting the use of a special provision passed in Budget.

According to Budget 2019, the Parliament passed a total of Rs. 80,253,533,000 for both recurrent and capital expenditure under the head 240 for the purposes of Supplementary Support Services and Contingent Liabilities, which happens to be the funds used in the by the Government for the purposes mentioned in the supplementary allocation in question.

However, the Budget 2019 has set guideline for the use of the provisions made available under Supplementary Support Services and Contingent Liabilities. As stipulated in Clause 6 (1) of the Appropriation Bill for the year 2019, the Supplementary allocations will be provided a range of Government activities including salary payments, loan guarantees to State Owned Enterprises and buying vehicles.

Among the highlights of the supplementary allocation, the Government has allocated Rs. 1.12 billion for the shortfall of provisions for Railway Development Project to procure 30 tank wagons, 20 truck wagons, 6 DMUs, and 10 locomotives, Rs. 10billion for the implementation of the Ran Mawath rural road maintenance and construction as per Budget 2019, and Rs. 42.95 million as an additional allocation to meet the expenditure of acquisition of official vehicle for the use of the Leader of the Opposition.

In addition Rs. 4 billion was allocated to implement the program of providing sanitary facilities for needy people as per the Budget 2019, Rs. 1,128,500,000 to settle the outstanding bills pertaining to providing infrastructure facilities for Rojana Industrial Park in Milleniya and establishment of industrial zone in Bingiriya and Weligama, Rs. 900 million reallocated to implement the project of Safeguarding and Protecting Hill Country Heritage, Rs. 4.5 billion to the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development for township development in nine provinces, restoration of water quality in Beira Lake, reconstruction of the Jaffna Town Hall, and the Sahasra Bus Modernisation program, Rs. 5.5 billion to implement the programme of traditional brick and mortar type permanent houses for the conflict affected families in Northern and Eastern Provinces, Rs. 1 billion to President to continue his food production and Grama Shakthi program and the Smart Sri Lanka initiative, Rs. 1,032,200,000 to settle the outstanding bills pertaining to the expenditure of medical supplies to the hospital and institutions and acquisition of capital assets in 2018, and Rs. 19.9 million allocation to settle the outstanding bills pertaining to renovations of a Minster’s official residence.  

Opposition lawmaker Bimal Rathnayake objecting the supplementary allocation in par with the provision 26 (3) of the Standing Orders said: “There are a few questionable expenses which include Rs. 43 million allocation to purchase a vehicle for the Deputy Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms, Rs. 42.95 million as an additional allocation to meet the expenditure of acquisition of official vehicle for the use of the Leader of the Opposition, Rs. 19.99 million to settle the outstanding bills pertaining to renovations of the official residence of the Minister of Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development. These expenses are incurred despite the Government’s inability to pay the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks.”

Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa defending the Government issuing him a new vehicle said: “When I became the Leader of the Opposition all motor vehicles and the official residence were taken by the former Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan. So I had to get a vehicle. This need not be a question of the Opposition leader getting a new vehicle.”

Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development Minister and Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella who found the supplementary allocation wrong held that he is occupying his private house since 1989 and have not used any official residencies. “I withdraw the supplementary allocation and this cannot be passed until resolved,” he said.