COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Independent Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna said the monthly fuel allowance paid to Members of Parliament had increased from 179,000 rupees to 244,000 rupees, and alleged that an amount equivalent to the allowance received by each of the Government's 159 MPs is deposited every month into accounts in Pelawatte, an apparent reference to the headquarters of the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
The allegation was made in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“The fuel allowances increased from 179K to 244K!!! The poor who are supporting the government don’t know that the same or nearly the same amount multiplied by 159 is being deposited into Pelawatte accounts,” Archchuna wrote.
He further accused the Government of attempting to silence dissent in Parliament.
“Watch today’s Parliament speech, and you will understand how the Government hates those who speak the truth,” he wrote, before ending the post with the phrases “Triple Gems will keep blessing you forever” and “Punarudaya” (“Renaissance”), the ruling National People’s Power’s slogan denoting national renewal.
Archchuna also posted images of his parliamentary salary slips for the past two months, which show the increase in the fuel allowance. However, he did not provide any evidence to support his allegation that funds are being transferred to accounts in Pelawatte.
Separately, a Government lawmaker independently told Jaffna Monitor that Government MPs remit their parliamentary salaries to the JVP each month and receive a fixed monthly stipend of approximately 80,000 rupees for personal expenses. The lawmaker did not specifically confirm Archchuna's allegation regarding the fuel allowance.
If Archchuna’s allegation is accurate, the transfer of approximately 244,000 rupees from each of the Government’s 159 MPs would amount to about 38.8 million rupees per month, or roughly 466 million rupees annually.
The increase in MPs’ fuel allowances has attracted public attention amid continuing economic hardship, with critics questioning the justification for higher parliamentary benefits while many Sri Lankans continue to struggle with the rising cost of living.
Jaffna Monitor contacted Government and JVP representatives for comment on Archchuna’s allegations, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
