Questions of overspending on foreign trips still unanswered

Having survived a JVP backed no confidence motion, North Western Province Chief Minister, Athula Wijesinghe is yet to respond to allegations of overspending on foreign trips by ruling party members. Provincial Council Opposition leader, Asoka Wadigamangawa said according to government audit reports and reports by the President’s special investigative unit, millions were spent on foreign trips in 2006.

“A certain officer in the Provincial Council has gone abroad saying that he was going on an official trip but was actually going to visit his daughter studying in that country,” he said adding that those officers spend money to be used for the benefit of the public without any service to the people.

The JVP spoke on the same issue of government over spending on foreign trips of the officials three months aback, when Provincial Council member K.M. Nimal Herath suggested a no-confidence motion saying Athula Wijesinghe was not fulfilling his duties as the Chief Minister. However, the Minister survived the motion by four votes.

Mr. Herath said that appointments without transparency, promotions, and forges on tenders, spending tsunami aid without transparency and the corruptions in the North West Transport Authority were the reasons behind the chief minister’s no-confidence motion. The UNP joined the JVP in voting against Mr. Wijesinghe though two UNP Provincial Council members A. Ruben Silva and Ajith Rohana and Upulangani Malagamuwa of the SLFP (M) party were absent on the day the motion was considered. Mr Wadigamangawa said disciplinary inquiries would be held for two UNP members who boycotted the no-confidence motion.