The Sri Lankan tax payers will have to cough out Rs 30 million for a nine day junket to China by all members of the Western Provincial Council (WPC), excluding three JVP members.
Both ruling party and opposition members expenses will be met from these funds. In addition, the 101 WPC members will also receive a daily stipend of US $ 25 (around Rs 3,000).
“The trip is necessary for educational purposes, WPC Chief Secretary Victor Samaraweera told the Sunday Times. He however declined to spell it out.
JVP member Waruna Rajapakse, who together with two other party members has rejected this offer, said the first batch comprising 24 PC members led by former Mrs. World, Rosie Senanayake, left for Beijing on Monday morning, and the next batch would follow on their return to the country.
He said the JVP members had opted out of the trip, because they believed it was an abuse of public funds.
Mr. Rajapakshe said the authorities were claiming the trip to China was a training or education course. “However, this is not the case. It is a mere joy ride at full state expense,” he said. Justifying their stand, Mr. Rajapakse said there was no provincial council system in China. So there was no way of getting any education on the devolution system there.
The JVP member pointed out that previous training trips were carried out at institutes in India because of the similarity of the political systems. “China is nowhere in the frame,” Mr. Rajapakse added. |
E-mail