A losing Mihin Air flies high and a gaining Army falls low on Govt.’s budget allocations –Ranil

(December 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a Matara District convention of the SLFP (M) group said the Govt. is doing lip service to the Forces and self service to its destructive fanciful projects like the white elephant Mihin Air and purchase of Inter continental Hotel.

While crowing about its war efforts, it had allocated Rs. 6000 million towards flogging a dead horse , the Mihinair belonging to the Bros’ company , but only Rs. 5610 million for the army to purchase weapons and build up the security forces in its budget capital expenditure allocations. Again, it has allocated only R. 4.5 billion to the Air Force, but has found it fit to allocate Rs. 5 billion to buy the Hotel Intercontinental .The Govt. is reluctant to sell petrol at Rs. 100.00 per liter pointing to the war expenses. But, if its wasteful exercises are halted , it can easily sell at that price , he added. - Sri Lanka Guardian