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| MPs
want facilities to monitor projects Government back-benchers have been invited to supervise and co-ordinate a variety of these projects which are being funded by the Japanese Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) within the next two years. The MPs are also to be entrusted with identification of issues with regard to the implementation of projects, assisting the implementing agencies and ensure timely completion of the projects. At a recent meeting held in the Parliamentary complex to discuss the proposed projects the back-benchers had put forward their demands at the meeting which was co-chaired by Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe and Rauff Hakeem. Officials of the Finance Ministry and relevant institutions were present. The MPs had pointed out that they would require the additional facilities if they were to undertake the task. Accordingly the requests were due to be forwarded to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The projects cover the areas of education, health, irrigation, roads and water supply with funding running into millions of rupees. The tentative allocation for 2004 are for the Water Supply and Drainage Board - Rs. 1000 million, Irrigation Department - Rs. 335 million, Road Development Authority - Rs. 2000 - Rs. 2500 million and for Central Provincial Council for education Rs. 160 million. JBIC has already stipulated the conditions under which the money should be spent for the projects. Among them is that the identified sub-projects for each year cannot be changed, but the list would be reviewed every September, allocated amounts should be used for specified projects, and a competitive bidding procedure should be followed strictly in implementing all the sub-projects. With strict conditions on spending on the projects the demand for vehicles and other facilities for MPs would have to be provided by the government as JBIC funds cannot be used for the extra expenditure. |
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