Is it lawful to delegate state fund spending powers to political leaders? Harsha asks

By Yohan Perera   

Is it lawful to delegate state fund spending powers to political candidates or their reps by appointing them as Praja Shakthi Committee Chairmen, Opposition MP and Chairman Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Dr. Harsha de Silva has questioned.   

“These committees now decide on Samurdhi, roads, and local projects—shifting control from neutral public servants to politically aligned figures. This raises serious questions on impartiality, accountability, potential misuse of public resources. Does this comply with constitutional principles on delegation of powers and public finance?” Dr. De Silva questioned through his X message.   

“We need clarity and safeguards to protect state institutions from politicization,” he added.   

Some of the government MPs and Ministers who responded to Dr. de Silva at the COPF meeting said the new procedure introduced by the present regime actually rectify the mistakes that has been made in the past. This was highlighted by Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe during the COPF meeting.  Dr. de Silva then suggested that COPF should take this discussion forward and ensure transparency and effective development at the grassroots level. “We have to ensure transparency as there is a huge amount of funds involved in the Praja Shakthi Development process,” he added.