Parliament has received World Bank assistance to improve transparency in UPFA-run provincial councils by way of workshops though the House itself is under flak for turning a blind eye to rapidly deteriorating financial discipline in the public sector.

Sources said that several politicians, including UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, UPFA National List MP Wijedasa Rajapaksa and JVP frontliner Lal Kantha, MP had blamed Parliament for failing in its duty.

But others said that an ongoing attempt to improve financial discipline at Provincial Councils should be appreciated.

Sources said that Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika  Kitulegoda had obtained financial assistance from the World Bank to conduct the programme aimed at strengthening Public Accounts Committees at the provincial level. Sources said that financial assistance was made available after the Secretary General contacted Leslie Kojima, a senior World Bank official based in New Delhi.

Sources said that members of the Eastern, Wayamba, Central, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils had so far participated at the workshops. Sources said that resource personnel at workshops included former Auditor Generals, S. C. Mayadunne and Premathilake as well as R. Kothandaraman, former Secretary General of Goa Legislative Assembly, India.

Sources said that construction and road building projects carried out at provincial level had been mired in controversy. Sources said that misappropriation of public funds seemed to be a common feature in almost all these projects.

Sources said that Parliament should be concerned about waste, corruption and irregularities at both national and provincial level as the country could no longer ignore damning reports on public sector enterprises tabled in Parliament by parliamentary watchdog committees, COPE and PAC.