Budget Bill illegal - Wijedasa Rajapakse

(November, 15, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The SLFP National list M.P. Wijedasa Rajapakse after crossing over to Opposition Wednesday (14Nov) asserted in Parliament that the appropriation Bill of the 2008 Budget is illegal as it contravenes articles 148 and 76 of the constitution.

Making a special statement, he said neither the Treasury secretary nor those appointed by him can make allocations for the Budge Division or for any other programs according to their whims and fancies. He further said that this illegal practice was reported to in the appropriation bill for the 2007 budget too. Rs. 19 billion was allocated to the Budget division, of which there is no transparency or account.

Only the Parliament, the representative Body is vested with the power of transferring funds under article 148. If the practice was duly followed legally according to Parliamentary procedure, these allocations and utilization will be under scrutiny and control, he added. None of these irregularities and lack of transparency problems would arise.

Meanwhile, the Jathika Hela Urumaya has revealed attempts made by the UNP to provide cash to party members to defeat the budget.

Addressing the media at the parliamentary complex today, the Ven. Ellawala Medananda thera said they entered politics to meet the needs of the country. Therefore their intention is to fulfil these needs. They said they are not ready to betray the nation, becoming tails of political parties greedy of power. The Ven. thera pointed out that they are concerned of the greediness of power by the UNP and are not prepared to be subjugated by the cash of the UNP or the tigers.

Making such offerings is a degradable act. The troops and the police are engaged in an uphill task of liberating the North after capturing the East. As such, the monk parliamentarian said in such an event, they should look at the budget in this angle.