Call for Parliamentary Review Over Alleged Diversion of Provincial Council Election Funds
June 01, Colombo (LNW): Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader and Member of Parliament Mano Ganesan has called for a formal parliamentary examination into claims that funds originally allocated for Provincial Council Elections may have been redirected for other government expenditure.
In a communication addressed to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), MP Harsha de Silva, Ganesan requested that the committee investigate reports suggesting that money set aside for the long-delayed elections had been utilised for post-disaster recovery initiatives and related programmes.
The request follows remarks allegedly made by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva, who indicated that resources earmarked for the conduct of Provincial Council polls had been channelled towards rebuilding efforts and other urgent public needs.
Ganesan argued that any alteration to approved budget allocations should be subject to proper parliamentary procedures and oversight. He noted that he was unaware of any parliamentary approval authorising the transfer of funds designated for election-related activities to alternative expenditure categories.
The TPA leader expressed concern that, if the reported statement accurately reflects the use of public funds, questions could arise regarding compliance with established financial regulations and the constitutional role of Parliament in controlling state expenditure.
In his letter, Ganesan urged the CoPF to ascertain whether any reallocation, transfer or utilisation of the funds had taken place and, if so, whether such actions were carried out with the necessary legal and parliamentary authorisation.
He further requested the committee to review all relevant documentation, obtain explanations from the responsible authorities and take any measures deemed appropriate within its oversight mandate to ensure transparency and accountability in public finance management.
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