Saturday, October 22, 2011- Trillion rupee budget deficit
- 20 percent of anticipated spending allocated to the President and his two brothers
By Ashwin Hemmathagama
The Appropriation Bill 2012, which was moved recently for Parliament approval outlines Rs. 2.22 trillion as next year’s anticipated spending by the UPFA government, although it leads to a budget deficit of Rs.1.105 trillion. Out of this massive fund, over 20 percent has been allocated to the President, several Ministries, and some statutory institutions that come under the direct control of the Rajapaksa family.==========================
Militarising Public Space And Silencing The Vulnerable
Saturday, October 22, 2011- State Defence And City Development Ministry
By Jude Fernando
An uneasy security-development merger, to mimic ‘new urbanism.’
All institutions representing city development are now under the purview of the State Defence and City Development Ministry – the new name of the Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry of Defence is a top-down command driven institution, while the development institutions are expected to be democratic. Their respective systems of governance and accountability are different. Will this arguably uneasy security-development merger, that mimics ‘new urbanism’ typical in cities around the world, replace public spirited behaviour and deliberative political choices with selfish
interests, authoritarianism and militancy?Read More »
