Close to Rs 10 million are reported to have been set aside for a special celebration welcoming President Maithripala Sirisena’s return to the island after attending the sessions of the UN General Assembly.
It is reported that SLFP stalwarts S.B. Dissanayake, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Nimal Lansa had pressurized the Chairman, Airport and Aviation Services Authority Ananda Wimalasena to foot this enormous bill. The Chairperson is reported to have said that the Authority is not in a position to do so and furthermore insisted that President Maithripala Sirisena was against lavish spending on these kinds of celebrations. He had said that a modest welcome is planned and that he was not certain who would pick up the bill. He furthermore refuted the report, saying that he was not under any kind of political pressure.
However, contrary to the claim of modesty, cut-outs and posters of the President have appeared all over Colombo in a throwback to the Mahinda Rajapaksa era of mindless sycophancy.
Dissanayake, Siripala and Lansa were at the forefront of party that welcomed the President when he arrived. It is unclear which of their ministries would pick up the massive bill.
Sherwin / October 7, 2015
How much attention people are paying, that defines how much corruption there is.
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priyangika / October 7, 2015
Please read the news item. We need to forget about the 10 million he spent on his arrival and somewhere I read money for his welcome came from Dehiwella / Mt lavinia
Vehicles worth Rs. 70 million for Maithri.
Rs. 70,600,000 has been spent to buy a BMW car and 12 BMW motorbikes for Presidential Security Division (PSD). The money to buy the car and motorcycles have been obtained on 19th May from a supplementary estimate in addition to allocations to the President from the budget.
It is interesting to note that the current President had to buy more vehicles in a situation where former President had bought a massive number of vehicles spending Rs. 3870 million and most of the vehicles were available for the current President.
When President Chandrika Kumaratunga retired from the post in 2005 the value of the vehicle collection for teh President was Rs. 81,000,000. President Mahinda Rajapaksa increased the collection by 48 times to Rs.3870 million wihin 7 years of his tenure.
President Maithripala Sirisena, who vehemently criticized the waste of money during Rajapaksa regime, spending such a large amount of money at the beginning of his tenure has surprised voters who used their votes agaisnt waste and extravagant living of Rajapaksas.
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ROHAN POLWATTE / October 7, 2015
5 to 10 days out of the country. You needed a stupid welcome spending public monet you bastards. Dont we had enough? These fking village idiots should be sent home without voting them in to power./ OUR IDIOT VILLAGERS are dumb fks.
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vis8 / October 7, 2015
“Maru”Sira wants Rs. 180 million to “renovate the presidential house” (LMAO) https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/president-justifies-rs-180-m-budget-for-repairs-his-residence/
…as if air conditioned bathrooms were not enough for this uneducated idiot…. lol
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ohnosiri / October 7, 2015
I was told people used to travel by ship it was a big deal to see them again,but arriving by plane ? in 2015 ? This will all get to his head and he will change just like others.
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janaka / October 8, 2015
This welcome was obviously arranged by Rajapaksas?
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Upali Weerasinghe / October 8, 2015
Tone and content look biased reporting. The readers are not fools. Rs. 10 Million is not massive.
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len / October 9, 2015
Upali Weerasinghe this is only the start flood gates will open. Your excuse very reminiscent of Rajapaksa supporters. For you Rs.10 million is not massive remind me of the quote ” Even the devil has his worshipers”.
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Know All / October 9, 2015
This whole business of ministers and MPs and other VIPs ceremonially seeing the President off when he goes abroad and ceremonially welcoming him back on his return, is as far as I am concerned a big joke and a sinful waste of time and money. All those fellows should be ‘at work’ doing what they are supposed to be doing, not congregating at the airport. This sort of thing does not happen in the Western countries where the heads of state leave the county and return almost without being noticed. If President Sirisena is true to his promise to ‘lead the simple life’ then he must change all this. Alas, it seems that the trappings of office are too attractive for him to let go.
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Jayasingha / October 9, 2015
Presidents and PMs going out and coming in to the country for official or private visits and ministers etc: bidding farewell or welcoming for cheap publicity should not be photo opportunities in this day and age. What is more important is revealing in a program like Hard Talk with a straight talking journalist to the people the benefits brought to the country after each visit.
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