The government will spend over Rs. 56 million on entertainment alone during the SAARC Summit while the entire summit will cost the nation over Rs. 2,800 million.

The Rs. 56 million for seven days is listed under Head 1405. The head interestingly has another unexplained allocation of Rs. 15 million for expenses titled — ‘others.’

The government on Tuesday (8) presented a mammoth supplementary estimate to parliament for over Rs. 2,800 million to finance the upcoming SAARC Summit scheduled to be held from July 27 - August 3 in Colombo.

The amount, according to the breakdown is Rs. 401,881,272 for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 2,478,299,069 for capital expenditure totaling to Rs. 2,880,180,332.

Under Head 1405 titled ‘other expenditure’ a massive Rs. 176,514,237 is voted in. This sum includes Rs. 52,62,967 for accommodation, Rs. 56,406,520 for entertainment, Rs.7, 500,000 for cultural activities, Rs.28, 050,000 for seminars and exhibitions and Rs. 3,500,000 for publications and advertisements.

Further, the government will spend Rs. 1,200,000 for gifts alone and another allocation of Rs. 15,247,500 is made for ‘others.’

Significantly, the decision to hold the summit in Colombo was reached after the annual estimates were approved for the year 2008 and hence did not budget for the holding of the event here.

Accordingly, for the SAARC work, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will now receive a total of Rs. 354,417,497, Ministry of Cultural Affairs some Rs. 2,960,000 and the Department of Police a total of Rs. 2,168,315,735.

Responding to the mammoth entertainment budget of the SAARC budget of Rs. 2800 million, UNP Spokesman, Gayantha Karunathileke called it ‘wasteful expenditure’ to salvage the country’s lost image due to the Rajapakses’ wrong decision making.

He said it was unforgivable for the state to bust over Rs. 56 million on SAARC banquets alone when people were leading a hand to mouth existence and workers were denied a reasonable salary increase.

"If the government can’t grant a salary increase, how can it afford some Rs. 56 million for SAARC banquets alone," he queried. He also said that importing bulletproof cars spending billions of rupees could not restore a country’s image.

TNA parliamentarian, N. Srikantha’s response was that not only was the amount a colossal waste but an atrocity when the country’s economy was dead and people were nearing starvation.

"It is sad when a state shows insensitivity to the public’s suffering. Besides having the world’s largest cabinet, we have a spend-thrift government forking out millions to hold talk shops when its economy can’t afford it," he noted.

Srikantha warned that the people would feel the repercussions when taxes are increased and the prices of essentials go up.

Secretary General, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Hassen Ali said that holding the summit in Colombo was a waste of money and that he was not surprised by the extravagance of the Rajapakse administration. "It is no secret that the government wants to show the international community that Sri Lanka has not been sidelined and that it is in the thick of things," claimed Ali.

"Spending over Rs. 56 million on banquets alone is a ‘sinful waste.’ People are starving and they have no hope. The economy is on the slide but the government is busy attempting to prove to the world that it is a rich state," Ali said.

Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan conceded last week that Karuna would continue to be the leader of the TMVP but declined to comment on whether Karuna could overrule him.

Pillayan’s comments came in the wake of a meeting between him and Karuna last week on issues related to the party leadership.

Pillayan said that there would be no issues between Karuna and himself as far as the party was concerned and added that Karuna would continue to play the role as its leader.

"He (Karuna) will be the leader of the party. There is no doubt about that."

Asked whether Karuna would also be in charge of its military wing or committees, Pillayan added that there was no such thing.

"We have appointed several committees. But, Karuna Amman as I said would continue to be the leader of the whole party," he said.

Pillayan did not elaborate on the leadership role Karuna was likely to play. He also said that there was no party central committee meeting planned to discuss Karuna’s role.

Earlier TMVP spokesperson Azad Moulana had told The Sunday Leader that the central committee was to meet to finalise Karuna’s post.

Karuna retuned to the island a fortnight back after serving a jail term in the UK for entering that country on a false identity.

Trade unions have threatened to resort to tough trade union action if the government continued to suppress the workers who participated in the island wide token strike on July 10.

The JVP affiliated National Trade Union Center (NTUC) says that trade unions would be forced to take stern action if the government continued to victimise workers who participated in the strike.

JVP parliamentarian and NTUC Chairman, K.D. Lalkantha has said that a massive strike campaign with the participation of workers from the public and private sectors would be launched if the government did not stop harassing the workers who participated in the token strike.

The NTUC steering committee is to meet tomorrow (14) to decide on the follow up action to the July 10 strike in order to win the workers’ demands.

Lalkantha says that several issues would be discussed at the meeting including the manner in which to continue with the agitation campaign and the action to be taken against state suppression of trade unionists.

Meanwhile, the JVP affiliated All Ceylon Health Services Union (ACHSU) has decided to take legal action against the circular issued by the Health Ministry that has directed the termination of employment of temporary and substitute workers in the health sector who joined the strike if they fail to give a valid explanation within three days.

The Health Ministry has also issued a circular calling on the permanent staff in the health sector to give an explanation for not attending to their posts on July 10 in order to take appropriate steps.

ACHSU Chairman, Gamini Kumarasinghe told The Sunday Leader that the union had already received the necessary legal advice to file a fundamental rights petition in courts calling on the Health Ministry to withdraw the circulars that violate the basic right of the workers to take part in a strike.

Kumarasinghe said that the health workers participated in the strike in line with the freedom granted to the workers by the country’s constitution under Clause 14(2).

"The ACHSU formally informed the Health Minister Secretary and the relevant department heads that the health sector workers would be taking part in the strike on July 10, 14 days before the date of the strike. Therefore, they cannot say that the workers stayed away from work without informing the authorities. Since we have informed as a trade union, its members need not individually inform anyone of their decision to participate in the strike," he said.

He also said a massive protest would be launched at noon tomorrow (14) in front of all the government hospitals calling on the Health Ministry to withdraw the circulars.

"If all these measures fail, then we resort to staying away from work for four hours every day till the Ministry withdrew the circulars," Kumarasinghe said.

The JVP is to take steps to expel from parliament 12 members of the National Freedom Front (NFF) headed by Wimal Weerawansa who quit the party in April.

The JVP’s decision to take action against the 12 NFF members was made following a letter sent by the NFF members to Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara admitting that they represented the NFF in parliament and not the JVP.

The JVP that contested the 2004 general election under the UPFA banner managed to send 39 of its members to parliament with the right to disciplinary action being held by the respective party secretary.

In the letter sent to Speaker Lokubandara by the NFF members dated July 9, they have said that after entering parliament under the UPFA, the group now represented the NFF in the House. They have said that the decision has also been communicated to the UPFA secretary general and that he had accepted it.

The NFF members had requested the Speaker to make the necessary arrangements with the chief opposition whip to allocate time for speeches to be made by the party.

The JVP defectors have declared total independence by calling for their recognition as members of a newly formed party. However, the UNP defectors who joined the government still function as members of the UNP to maintain they still represent the party they were elected from so that they do not have to relinquish their parliamentary seats. The NFF members have therefore fallen into a trap set by the government, JVP sources said.

It is learned if the 12 JVP members lose their parliamentary seats, they will be replaced by 12 SLFP members who are next on the list.

"That is why the UPFA General Secretary has agreed to Weerawansa and group committing themselves in writing to the position they now represent a new party," JVP sources also said.

The 12 NFF members who have signed the letter to the Speaker are Wimal Weerawansa, Nandana Gunathileka, Piyasiri Wijenayake, Mohomad Mussamil, Anjan Umma, Deepal Gunasekera, Achala Jagoda, Jayantha Samaraweera, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Padma Udayashantha, Samansiri Herath and Nimal Premawansa.

The cascading effects of the rising food prices are making their impact felt in Sri Lanka with vulnerable communities in the conflict areas feeling the pinch badly, a new UN funding assessment report said last week.

The mid year review of the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) that was released by the UN last week said that 90% of IDPs and newly returnees lived below the poverty line. There were 182,000 IDPs, displaced after 2006, an additional 272,000 displaced before the 2002 ceasefire, making a total of 481,587 that included tsunami IDPs and those who had fled to India.

The report said that 126,000 had returned to their homes. At least half a million of the IDPs and the newly returned are living below the poverty line, the UN report added.

"At the same time that insecurity, displacement, isolation and commodity constraints continue to generate significant humanitarian needs in the conflict-affected areas, the impact of the global food crisis is becoming increasingly evident across Sri Lanka. Rising local food prices, combined with an inflation rate of 26%, make it increasingly difficult to assure the food security of the most vulnerable households, particularly in the conflict areas," the report said.

It added, "a recent survey on the impact of rising food prices on beneficiaries indicated that households spend 63% of their income on food, 11% more than one year ago. Over 90% of IDP and returnee households live below the poverty line, with the isolated regions of Jaffna and the Wanni particularly vulnerable."

The food sector allocation witnessed a 41% upward price revision in the allocations from US$ 68 million when the original CHAP estimates were released earlier in the year, to US$ 96 million in the new revised estimates.

President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is currently in India had arrived at Tirumala on Friday.

Rajapakse, accompanied by a 10 member official delegation had arrived at Tirumala in India to worship at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara.

It has been reported that the President was accorded a warm welcome by the temple officials on arrival at the high-security Sri Padmavathi Guest House on the hills.