DailyMirror.lk:
A group of monks yesterday called on the government to adopt good governance to mark the 2600th Sambuddha Jayanthiya and thus save Rs 2.9 billion wasted every year because of corruption.
The National Bikkhu Front Patron Ven. Attthagane Ratanapala Thera told a news conference that the government should adopt good governance to save these funds and use them to provide relief to the people who are hit by the sky rocketing cost of living today.
Ven. Thera said those who advised the rulers of the country should provide effective guidelines for the government to run the nation in an exemplary manner.
He explained that the government had failed to make use of the guidelines given in the Dhamma and the example set by the ancient rulers of the nation. He said the rulers of the nation should be kinder to the citizens of the country as preached by Buddha. Ven. Sangha Nayaka of the Kandhabadapathu and Matara Handugalla Ratanapala Thera who also participated in the press conference said the people should be lauded for not giving up their practices though they were hampered by the high cost of living. Therefore he said the people continued to provide Dhana to the monks by foregoing a one meal daily.
The Thera who compared the current prices of essential commodities with last year’s prices said the price of 1kg of beans had increased from Rs 117.50 to Rs 300 by end of February while the price of cabbage had increased from Rs 80 to Rs 120. He said Pumpkin which does not have a commercial value some time back had got such a value with the increase of price from Rs 44 to Rs 130 a kilo today he said.