Thread by @Vidiyallk

Recently, @fernandoharin renounces his parliamentary salary for the upcoming year while #RTI reveals that continuous payments to Chairmen of the dissolved Provincial Councils. In addition to the salary, payments for their personal staff, vehicles and fuel allowances (1/7)

Amidst the present #EconomicCrisis in the island, about 10 million rupees of public funds is continuously being spent in relation to Chairmen of inactive PCs who do not discharge any official duties after the dissolvement of such PCs on a monthly basis (2/7)

At the same time, a staggering amount of more than Rs.200 million paid in total after the dissolvement of PCs as salaries for Chairmen and their personal staff for many years by the state (3/7)

Apart from Eastern (#SJB) and Northern (#TNA) Provincial Councils, all other Chairmen of inactive PCs are the members of #SLPP while Chairman of North Central Provincial Council passed away (4/7)

The salaries paid to personal staff of Chairmen differ among PCs. In addition to this, vehicles are provided by Private Secretary,Coordinating Secretary and PRO of Chairmen. These 3 types of officers receive monthly fuel allowances for 240, 218 and 218 litres respectively (5/7)

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the dissolved Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Kanchana Jayaratna functions as the Private Secretary to Pavithra Wanniarachchi when she was the Health Minister (6/7)

Mr. Kanchana Jayaratna received salary, phone allowance and fuel allowance both Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council and Health Ministry for period of 22 months (7/7)

The provision to the section 7 (C) of the PCs Act No. 42 of 1987 stipulates as follows;“Provided that whenever the Council is dissolved, the Chairman shall not vacate his office until immediately before the first meeting of the Council after the dissolution.”

The above-mentioned legal provision makes Chairmen of the PCs to continuously hold their positions even after the Councils dissolved. However, it is noteworthy that the Speaker of Parliament, vested with more authority than the PCs, loses his position when Parliament is dissolved

As per the PCs Act, the main duty of a Chairman is to preside over Provincial Council sessions and conduct the meeting in an orderly manner. However, once a PC is dissolved, the Chairman would not be able to discharge this duty.

The PCs Act does not prescribe anything related to the powers and duties of Chairmen of the dissolved local governing bodies. As a result, the Chairmen of dissolved PCs enjoy salaries and other benefits without performing any official duties in a continuous manner.