Sri Lanka, Nov. 16 -- Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said that Opposition statements questioning the allocation of State funds for the attendance allowance of estate workers carry no legal weight.

Speaking during the Budget debate in Parliament, Herath said that Rs. 5,000 million has been allocated to the Estates Ministry in the Budget, and added that the funds are intended to develop the estate sector and not to increase salaries of private company employees.

"The Estates Ministry has the authority, capacity, and legal basis to use the allocated funds for sectoral development. There is no legal impediment, and the decision cannot be challenged even in the Supreme Court. Such provisions are routine, including the payment of a...