More facilities for MPs in development work

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunatilake said the Government will provide a vehicle and other required facilities to MPs involved in development activities.

"Even during the tenure of the former government, then Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa provided a vehicle to each UPFA MP who helped to carry out development work", the Minister said.

In the future, backbenchers in the Government will play a lead role to carry out the Government's development drive. They will be provided with an office and all other required facilities. The newly elected MPs in the Government will also be appointed as the chairmen of District Development Committees, he said.

When the proposed new committee system is in operation, office facilities will be given to MPs in the Agriculture Ministry building complex.

"It is envisaged that responsibility and power will be given to backbenchers in the Government," he said. Oversight Committees which were earlier headed by Cabinet Ministers will now be given handled by these new MPs, the Minister said. "If the Joint Opposition says that allocating a vehicle to MPs who carry out development work is tantamount to a bribe, we like to remind them that it was during their regime that various bribes were offered to MPs to consolidate power," the Minister said.

"The MPs to be given vehicles will be announced this week.

"The Joint Opposition will now put the blame on the Government for appointing MPs for development activities," he said.