Decentralised funds to spur development

Decentralised funds for all Parliamentarians would be given before the end of January 2012, Economic Development Minister of Sri Lanka Basil Rajapaksa has stated.

Colombopage reported yesterday that the decentralised funds are allocated to all Parliamentarians to carry out development work in their constituencies and other religious and social activities.

The Minister has said the allocation of the decentralised funds had been delayed due to a directive issued by the Elections Commissioner.

He has explained that the Elections Commissioner had feared that allocating monies to the decentralised funds would have made legislators utilise the monies for various projects during election time in violation of election laws, causing the directive to be delayed.  

He has added that there was a delay in allocating monies to other development projects due to the Election Commissioner’s directive.  According to Rajapaksa, there won’t be any more delays in the allocation of monies to the decentralised funds.

The opposition MPs have meanwhile claimed that the delay in allocating monies had prevented them from commencing development projects in their constituencies. The opposition Parliamentarians have asked the Government to allocate the decentralised funds before the end of this year, however it is unlikely that this will happen.

The Finance Ministry and academics are among the stakeholders that have consistently called for decentralised funding to speed up rural development projects and reduce wastage of funds due to delays.