Government failed to appoint officials to key institutions: JVP

JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake yesterday alleged that the government had failed to appoint officials to key government institutions for the last two months, which had led to malfunctioning of nearly five hundred government institutions.

He told a news conference that there were 238 government institutions such as Corporations, Boards and Authorities and about 200 other state institutions and added that the government had not appointed chairpersons and director boards for most of these institutions.

“Most government institutions had collapsed during the UNP regime over a year’s time. No decision was made at state institutions due to the anarchic situation in the country. No decision was made even during the election period. It remained the same during the last two months,” he said.

The MP said director boards for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Water Supply and Drainage Board, Ports Authority, State Engineering Corporation, Timber Corporation, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and Rupavahini Corporation had not been appointed so far, where they had been malfunctioning.

He said the government had appointed kith and kin and unqualified persons to some government institutions whereas it claimed to appoint professionals and qualified persons to top government positions.

“Namal Rajapaksa’s father-in law and Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s mother-in-law had been appointed to the SriLankan Airlines director board. Rajapaksa family continues to misuse the SriLankan Airlines,” he said.

He said appointment of Nishantha Ranathunga, Upali Kodikara, Upali Dharmadasa and Ishini Wickremesinghe for top positions was questionable.

(Source: Daily Mirror – By Ajith Siriwardana)