Treasury allocates Rs. 6b in supplementary funds to Govt. institutions

Almost Rs. 1b for new graduate teachers; about Rs. 70m for new vehicles

The Treasury allocated more than Rs. 6 billion in supplementary funds for various Government institutions in June, of which, nearly a billion rupes went to District Secretariats countrywide to pay allowances for newly recruited graduate teachers.

The largest amount in supplementary allocations of over Rs 2,400 million went to the Sri Lanka Army for expenses incurred for the Army Hospital project, acquisition and improvements of buildings, lands and machinery, while the Ministry of Resettlement got over Rs 1,900 million for welfare and livelihood activities of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)s in the North.

Of the 261 supplementary allocations of funds made by the Treasury in June, details of which were presented to Parliament last week, Rs. 500 million was allocated to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development for the construction of an International Convention Centre in Hambantota, while millions of rupees were allocated for purchase of vehicles for several Government institutions.

The Senior Ministers Secretariat (Secretariat for Special Functions) had been allocated Rs. 13 million to purchase vehicles in June, while the Ministry of Higher Education was allocated over Rs. 20 million for vehicle purchases.

The Ministry of Defence and Urban Development was also allocated another Rs. 500 million to meet the expenditure on relocation of the Defence Headquarters complex to Battaramulla.

The supplementary estimates presented to Parliament were all made in June from the Budgetary Support Services and Contingent Liabilities project of the Department of National Budget.

Other allocations included Rs. 10 million to the Department of Cultural Affairs for preliminary work on the renovation and development of the John De Silva Performing Arts Theatre and the National Arts Gallery, and Rs. 30 million to the Ministry of Livestock and Rural Development for losses incurred by Milco due to the increase in price of fresh milk.

Rs. 10 million was given to the Ministry of Productivity Promotion to meet the recurrent expenses of the Pelwatta and Sevanagala Sugar Industries.