Sri Lanka no longer needs Provincial Councils - Omalpe Sobhita Thero

Venerable Dr. Omalpe Sobhita Thero says that there is no need for Provincial Council Elections to be held again as provincial administration activities are being carried out unhindered even at a time when seven out of Sri Lanka’s nine provincial councils are not functioning. 

Speaking to reporters following an event in Embilipitiya, he said that there are 450 provincial council members in total and that the state spends over Rs 2,250 million per year just to maintain them. 

In addition to this over Rs 5,000 million is also spent on their external facilities, commissions obtained through development activities and other expenditure, he claimed.

The former leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) charged that there is absolutely no benefit from spending such a national wealth and that despite the fact that 7 provincial councils are currently not functioning due to the end of their respective terms, there has been no issue.

Under such a situation, it is clear that provincial councils have become an unnecessary feature, he said.

Ven. Sobhita Thero also claimed that provincial councils were a ‘burden’ placed on Sri Lanka under pressure from the Indian government and that although it was accepted then as a solution to terrorism, it should be done away with immediately  as terrorism has been defeated.