Government’s motorcycle subsidy scheme takes a political twist
Deliberately ignoring the country’s constitution, budgetary provisions and fiscal management responsibility, government authorities have begun distributing motor cycles worth Rs.200,000 at a subsidised price of Rs.50,000 to provincial politicians and policemen even before the conclusion of the 2015 budget.
The 2015 budget proposal permits the implementation of any of its proposals (other than taxes which come under ordinances that allows immediate implementation) only after it is passed in parliament and any other inclusions should be made by way of supplementary estimates during the respective financial year, a senior government official confirmed to the Business Times. He said Article 148 of the Constitution specifies that Parliament has full control over finances and the distribution of motor cycles to policemen and provincial politicians without the approval of parliament was against the constitution.
Expressing his dismay, a senior lawyer noted that no one can undermine democracy, parliament and in the process rights and freedom of the people of this country. He added that any addition to the budget should be made with the consent of the legislature.The government has already launched a highly politi- cised subsidy scheme to provide motor cycles for around 10,000 members of local government institutions and pradesheeya sabha members on the eve of presidential elections, official sources revealed.A group of ruling party pradesheeya sabha members who came in vehicles took away new motor cycles parked at Buddadasa Stadium at Pelawatta this week, eye witnesses said. Motorcycles were distributed among 1050 field offi- cers in the Public Service including policemen in the Matara District at the Uyanwatte stadium recently, official sources revealed. Meanwhile the government is to forgo around Rs.15 billion of public money in implementing its highly politicised programme of providing100,000 motorcycles for field officers in the state service under a proposal made in (last year’s presented) 2014 budget.
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