Responding to criticism from an opposition MP about the increase in the President’s expenditure head, Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told Parliament yesterday that these funds are being used for various welfare and recurring activities. He added that the opposition sees this as a problem because previous administrations did not allocate funds in this way, instead spending money on personal matters while touring the country.
Citing examples, the Minister noted that in 2013, money from the President’s Fund was used to purchase offerings for a Thero, and that Rs. 666,000 was spent on Pirith chanting and Avurudu celebrations at Carlton Pre-School on the occasion of Namal Rajapaksa’s birthday on 9 April 2014.
He further revealed that Rs. 9,270 was spent through the Presidential Fund to laminate and frame a photograph taken during Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s 2008 visit to China, which she took with her on her 2009 visit, and that Rs. 356,000 was spent on Atapirikara to be offered to monks in 2014.
Concluding his remarks, the Minister stated that during the Rajapaksa regime, public money was used to make merit, and in short, they attempted to attain Nirvana with public funds.
( With the inputs from a Sinhala language article published in Satahan/whatnews web site_