Thursday, 26 February 2004 |
Politics |
News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries | Junaid reproves Charitha Ratwatte Interior Ministry Secretary M. N. Junaid yesterday reproved Secretary to the Treasury Charitha Ratwatte for accusing the Interior Ministry by innuendo in a letter he (Ratwatte) had addressed to the Secretary to the President W. J. S. Karunaratne pertaining to public expenditure and the use of vehicles. Mr. Junaid's letter to the Treasury Secretary states: "I refer to your letter to Mr. W. J. S. Karunaratne Secretary to the President, dated 23rd February, 2004, with a copy to me and several others. I am compelled to comment on the following two paragraphs in the above letter, as it has given a lot of publicity in the dailies on February 24. 1. That I was not present at the last Meeting of the Secretaries, in which you drew the attention of the Secretaries to the Fiscal Management (Responsibility) Act, No. 3 of 2003. I am one of the Secretaries who attend the Meeting regularly and contributed to its success. I could not attend the above meeting on the 9th of February, not because I was asked not to do so, but due to an important meeting being held by H.E. the President at the same time, for the formation of National Advisory Council on Crime Prevention. Further, as the Secretaries Committee Meetings were not held regularly on due dates, I could not keep a slot for same on that date. 2. That "Unconfirmed reports indicate that some abuse is taking place in these line Ministries and/or the Institutions under them". I was surprised and saddened over your reference to these "unconfirmed reports" without being more specific, thus leaving room for insinuations Being a very senior public officer, who has come to the tail end of the service, I am quite aware of my responsibilities at this moment and I reiterate that there is no such abuses neither in this Ministry nor in any institution under it. |
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