Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, speaking in Parliament today (27), disclosed another list of compensation payments made by the government for houses that were set on fire during the 2022 struggle.
According to the Minister, a woman named W. M. Gnanawathi, also known as Gnanakka, received a compensation of Rs. 2.8 million. Similarly, Kesbewa Mayor Lakshman Perera was granted Rs. 6.96 million in compensation.
He further revealed that a total of Rs. 1,125 million was allocated to local government members, chairpersons, associates, and supporters who were not members of Parliament at the time. Meanwhile, an additional Rs. 1,221 million was distributed among the then-serving Members of Parliament and Ministers.
During his speech, Minister Jayatissa also addressed the expenditure of government funds on Presidential Commissions of Inquiry during the tenure of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who served both as Prime Minister and President.
He stated that since 2016, a total of 14 Presidential Commissions of Inquiry had been established. Among them, Rs. 662.34 lakhs were spent on the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Misuse of State Property. He further detailed the following expenditures:
- Rs. 1,063 lakhs on the Easter Sunday Investigation Report
- Rs. 35 lakhs on the activities of the Anti-Corruption Office
- Rs. 842 lakhs on reports concerning political revenge from 2015 to 2019
In total, Minister Jayatissa reported that Rs. 5,301 lakhs had been spent on these 14 commissions.
However, he emphasized that, despite the numerous reports produced, only the 13th Presidential Commission, which was established in 2022 to provide relief to those affected by the crisis, was implemented with the highest efficiency.
