President Anura Kumara Dissanayake delivered a firm message during a public rally in Kantale over the weekend, declaring that only local government bodies controlled by the National People’s Power (NPP) would receive financial allocations from the central government.
President Dissanayake made it clear that party affiliation would play a decisive role in determining the disbursement of state resources.
“Let’s say a Pradeshiya Sabha like Kantale submits a proposal showing they don’t have enough income but a lot of work to do,” he said. “When we look at who submitted it, and it turns out to be an NPP-controlled council, we’ll approve it with our eyes closed. But if it’s from someone else, we’ll look at it ten times over.”
The President further announced that the process of collecting proposals for the national budget — expected to be presented in November — would commence in June.
He also used the platform to criticise previous governments, accusing them of rampant corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
“Do you know how the previous groups did things? They poured a little concrete on the road and took the rest for their own pockets,” he said. “Aren’t they all gone now?”
Warning that councils not aligned with the ruling party could be sidelined, President Dissanayake stated that the government would not risk public funds being misused by uncooperative or corrupt local bodies.
“We are not going to hand over funds just for them to be stolen,” he said. “So, who should be empowered? It must be the National People’s Power. Otherwise, the councils will be sidelined, dragging their feet on the work the central government is trying to push forward. That won’t help the people.”
The remarks have sparked concern among political analysts and governance advocates, who argue that such a policy could erode the principles of equitable governance and weaken the autonomy of local government institutions.
Leave a comment