Minister of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government, Vajira Abeywardena an issue has arisen with regard to the payment of salaries and allowances to the employees of local governments after the Ministry’s budget was defeated in parliament.
Speaking to state-run radio, Minister Abeywardena has said that 550,000 employees in 341 local government bodies may not be paid their salaries before the New Year.
He says the opposition MPs who defeated the expenditure head of the Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry will have to take the blame.
The expenditure heads of the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development Ministry headed by Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and of Minister Vajira Abeywardena’s Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government were defeated in parliament on Thursday in an unexpected move during the committee stage of the Budget 2019 when the opposition unexpectedly called for a division while most of the government members were absent.
