ABSTRACT
The legislator's involvement in rural development work is a relatively recent addition to the functions of legislators in Sri Lanka. Prior to the advent of the decentralized budget, most members of parliament had little control over the development projects in their electorates. The money available for development projects was allocated to the various ministries involved and the minister in charge of the ministry had a great deal of discretionary power over how the money was to be spent. The chapter examines the role of the member of parliament (MP) in planning the use of these allocations and administering their expenditure. It looks at the receipt of the funds and how they are distributed among the MPs. The chapter also examines the forces affecting the choices taken by the MPs in allocating the money among the projects in their electorates. It explores the success of the MPs in completing the projects they plan.
