Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, addressing Parliament today (17), disclosed details regarding payments allocated from the President’s Fund during the period 2005-2024.
He explained that the fund is intended for welfare activities, including poverty alleviation in the country, as stipulated in the President’s Fund Act, which outlines five specific purposes for its usage:
- Poverty alleviation.
- Advancement of education or knowledge.
- Advancement of religion or maintainance of religious rituals and practices
- Grants to individuals who have rendered service to the nation.
- Any other purpose deemed appropriate by the President or the Board.
“I have information regarding the payments allocated from the Presidential Fund between 2005 and 2024,” Jayatissa stated, revealing a list of names of individuals who had received funds.
“Individuals such as Dayasiri Padmakumara Jayasekara, Piyal Nishantha de Silva, Susil Premajayantha, and Isura Devapriya were also among the recipients. These are just a few from a much larger list and you have to dig deeper,” he said.
The following notable payments were highlighted:
- Jagath Kumara – Rs. 1 million
- K.P.S. Kumarasiri – Rs. 953,430
- Jayalath Jayawardena – Rs. 1 million
- Namal Gunawardena – Rs. 1 million
- Dharmadasa Banda – Rs. 1 million
- Vidura Wickramanayake – Rs. 1.5 million
- Wimalaweera Dissanayake – Rs. 3 million
- Lucky Jayawardene – Rs. 1.62 million
- P. Chandrasekaran – Rs. 1.4 million
- John Amaratunga – Rs. 4 million
- Joseph Michael Perera – Rs. 2.7 million
- T.B. Ekanayake – Rs. 4.8 million
- W.M.S. Fonseka (not Sarath Fonseka) – Rs. 5.5 million
- Jayantha Weerasinghe – Rs. 9 million
- Alick Aluwihare – Rs. 2.2 million
- Ranjith Aluwihare – Rs. 860,000
- Rajitha Senaratne – Rs. 10 million
- Keheliya Rambukwella – Rs. 11 million
- M.K.A.D.S. Gunawardena – Rs. 11.2 million
- Ranjith Soysa – Rs. 18.8 million
- D.M Jayaratne – Rs. 30 million
“Now I request everyoneto identify under which of the five specified categories each payment was allocated,” Jayatissa added.
