By The Pulseline News Desk
Opposition member of parliament (MP) Mano Ganesan has called for a parliamentary inquiry into allegations that funds allocated for provincial council election may have been diverted for other government expenditure without the approval of Parliament.
In a letter addressed to Harsha de Silva, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), Ganesan requested that the committee investigate remarks reportedly made by Tilvin de Silva, General Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main constituent party of the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) coalition.
According to Ganesan’s letter, media reports quoted Tilvin Silva as stating that funds allocated and set aside for the conduct of provincial council election had been utilised by the Government for disaster-rebuilding and related activities. While acknowledging that the JVP General Secretary had made additional comments, Ganesan focused specifically on the reported claim concerning the use of election funds.
The issue raises questions about parliamentary control over public finances, a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s constitutional framework. Under established financial procedures, funds appropriated by Parliament for specific purposes generally require legislative authorisation before being transferred or reallocated to alternative expenditure categories.
Ganesan stated that, to the best of his knowledge, Parliament had not approved any transfer or reallocation of funds earmarked for provincial council election. He argued that if the statement attributed to Silva was accurate, it could suggest that public funds had been utilised for purposes other than those authorized by Parliament.
The opposition MP has therefore requested that CoPF determine whether any transfer, reallocation, or expenditure of funds allocated for provincial council election occurred in a manner inconsistent with parliamentary approval and financial regulations.
The request places renewed attention on the long-delayed provincial council election, which has remained a subject of political debate for several years. It also highlights broader concerns regarding fiscal accountability and transparency in the management of public funds during a period when the Government is balancing economic recovery efforts with competing expenditure priorities.
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