Minister ignores the President, uses the Premier’s Office
- Monday, 30 December 2013
A
government Minister has ignored accepted protocol and has sued the
Prime Minister’s Office to make a request from a foreign country without
requesting assistance from the Finance Ministry.
Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiudeen has reportedly used the Prime
Minister’s Office to make a direct request from Pakistan Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif for a housing scheme for the Muslims.
Bathiudeen has received help from Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne to
forward an appeal to Premier Sharif through the Pakistan High
Commissioner Qasim Quereshi.
However, External Affairs Ministry sources have said that Bathiudeen has by-passed the Finance Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry when making the request from the Pakistan government.
However, External Affairs Ministry sources have said that Bathiudeen has by-passed the Finance Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry when making the request from the Pakistan government.
The External Affairs Ministry states that whenever a Minister or
Ministry wanted to make a request for foreign assistance, it must go
through the Department of External Resources of the Finance Ministry
which comes under President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the External Affairs
Ministry was usually kept informed.
Bathiudeen has however been quoted in the media as saying that he had
briefed the Pakistan High Commissioner in Sri Lanka about the issue
after receiving Premier Jayaratne’s consent.
Bandula to use students to achieve his goals
- Monday, 30 December 2013
Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena is trying to get students and teachers to collect monies to fund his goals.
Gunawardena it is learnt wants to renovate and re-name the Elephant Pass
railway station as Senahasaka Thotupola. He is reportedly trying to get
the renovation and re-naming completed when train services are restored
between Kilinochchi and Jaffna.
In order to achieve this goal, the Education Minister has said he wants to spend Rs. 15.5 million collected from teachers and pupils island wide.
The Education Ministry has accepted Gunawardena’s proposal and the ministry has consulted the Sri Lanka Army to see if its engineering troops could undertake the construction of the new railway station.
In order to achieve this goal, the Education Minister has said he wants to spend Rs. 15.5 million collected from teachers and pupils island wide.
The Education Ministry has accepted Gunawardena’s proposal and the ministry has consulted the Sri Lanka Army to see if its engineering troops could undertake the construction of the new railway station.