- No account of recipients getting wheel chairs, spectacles…
By Nirmala Kannangara
The Social Services and Welfare Ministry under the former Rajapaksa regime had allegedly spent several millions of rupees from their annual allocations for the welfare of their party politicians.Astonishing revelations have now come to light on how the Ministry of Social Services, Welfare and Livestock Development in 2014 had allegedly spent millions of rupees to purchase spectacles, wheel chairs and walkers to be given to politicians to distribute in their constituencies without following a proper list of recipients.
These alleged incidents had taken place during the tenure of former Minister Felix Perera.
Highly reliable sources at the Ministry of Social Services said that the annual allocation to provide spectacles, wheel chairs, walkers and other equipments for the underprivileged, differently abled people were constantly utilized by the politicians to distribute them to their supporters but added there are no records to show whether they have been given to the needy or not.
“This has been the practice over the years and it became worst in 2014 as they knew it is going to be a crucial year for them to win the election and may have distributed these goods amongst their supporters. All these frauds were done with the support of a certain group in the ministry in order to keep this a secret. When we came to know for what and for whom these goods have been given, we tried to get the details but to no avail. It was from a government audit query we came to know as to how these funds had been utilized and for whom the purchased goods had been given. When attempts were made by us to get the list of names to whom these spectacles and wheel chairs had been donated, neither the politicians nor their staff were able to give us the names of the beneficiaries,” sources claimed.
According to sources, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of Kurunegala district UPFA Parliamentarian and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had allegedly obtained 75 wheel chairs to the value of Rs. 8.5 lakhs while former Economic Development Minister, Basil Rajapaksa had allegedly obtained 10 wheel chairs to the value of Rs.1.235 lakhs and Chamal Rajapaksa, three wheel chairs costing Rs. 37,350.
The Sunday Leader is in possession of copies of letters Shiranthi Rajapaksa had sent to the then Social Services Minister Felix Perera to release wheel chairs, clutches and walkers for social service programmes she had been carrying out, which had been duly authorized by Minister Perera.
On January 22, 2014, five wheel chairs had been given to Shiranthi Rajapaksa followed by another five on March 19, 2014. Five more wheel chairs had been given to Shiranthi Rajapaksa on April 9, 2014 and 20 wheel chairs on July 7, 2014. Another 15 wheel chairs had been given on August 15, August 27 and November 13, 2014 respectively in addition to another 25 wheel chairs on November 19, 2014, according to the sources.
“In addition, 15 more wheel chairs had been given to the Presidential Secretariat on January 10 and December 2, 2014 and ten wheel chairs to Basil Rajapaksa on August 5, 2014 while another ten had been given to his ministry – the Economic Development Ministry – on March 28 and three to the then Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa on August 29, 2014. Based on the reports, the the Rajapaksas alone had obtained 113 wheel chairs to the value of Rs.1.932 million. Although these wheel chairs have been purchased to be given to the needy in underprivileged families, it is disgusting as to how some of them had been given to the then first family,” sources alleged.
Meanwhile, it has also come to light as to how the then Deputy Minister of Social Services, Chandrasiri Sooriayrachchi had also obtained 14 wheel chairs but had not given any details as to whom they were given.
“According to the government audit report, M. A. S. P. Priyankara had obtained ten and two wheel chairs from the Ministry on April 21 and February 10 respectively, while S. J. W. M. Chamara Uditha Bandara had obtained two wheel chairs on March 27, 2014, all to the value of Rs.1.175 lakhs. When the two persons who obtained the wheel chairs were contacted to find out who the beneficiaries were, they were unaware to whom the items had been given,” sources claimed.
Meanwhile, former Minister Felix Perera’s Coordinating Secretary, Kushan Thilakaratne had allegedly been given ten wheel chairs on February 21, 2014 to the value of Rs.77,000 while 150 to the Puttalam and Kurunegala Divisional Secretariats on January 10, 2014 to the value of Rs.1.158 million to distribute during the Deyata Kirula exhibition which was held in the Kurunegala district.
“Social Services Ministry on 27 occasions had purchased 650 normal wheel chairs and 80 wheel chairs with attached commodes in 2014 to the value of Rs. 8 .051 million from P.C. Farma, Serendib Medical (Pvt) Ltd and M.A. Medical (Pvt) Ltd. Although the wheel chairs have to be given to those whose monthly income is less than Rs. 6,000 on the recommendation of the Grama Niladhari and a medical doctor, it is surprising as to how this procedure had not been followed. In 2014, on the instruction of the subject Minister Felix Perera, his Coordinating Secretary obtained 54 wheel chairs between January 17 and November 25, 2014 to the value of Rs. 6.94 lakhs. Since there were no records to find out to whom these wheel chairs were given, the Coordinating Secretary, Kushan Thilakaratne was asked to appear before the government auditors on may 22, 2015. It was revealed that he had no idea to whom these items were given and had no documents to prove whether they were really distributed among the needy. According to Thilakaratne’s statement, he has only handed over the 54 wheel chairs to Felix Perera’s residence but was unaware of what had happened to them thereafter,” sources claimed.
It was the same with spectacles as well, according to the sources, who said that tenders were called to supply spectacles on January 22 and February 3, 2014 and the contract had been offered to J.A. Jayasinghe Optical to the value of Rs. Rs.8.1 million and Rs. 11.75 million respectively. However, the sources said that although these too should be given to the underprivileged people with a lesser income, the ministry officials had not considered the recipients’ monthly income but had given them away to their party supporters.
“Payments for 1,000 spectacles had been made on December 31, 2014 by payment voucher (number 12/110) for Rs. 150,000. When it was checked whether the beneficiaries in the list had been really given these spectacles, it was revealed that none of them had received them. When the signatory to the voucher, the Social Service Officer Monaragala, Ajith Serasinghe was asked to appear before the government auditors it was revealed that his signature had been forged. Also it was revealed that such an eye clinic had not been held in Monaragala,” sources added.
According to the sources, it was the same with the eye camp which was said to have been held on September 9, 2014 at St. Anthony’s Church, Bandarawela, where payments have been made for 1,000 pairs of spectacles to the value of Rs. 150,000. Sevenagala Divisional Secretary too had confirmed to the government auditors that such an eye camp was not held in Bandarawela on the given date.
“It was the same with the eye camp held at Thanamalwila on December 31, 2014 where it came to light that none of the employees attached to the Monaragala Divisional Secretariat attended and the signature of Ajith Serasinghe had been forged for the vouchers to the amount of Rs. 4.5 lakhs,” sources claimed.
According to the reports this newspaper is in possession, the then Social Services Minister Felix Perera too was involved in these operations where 3,493 spectacles to the value of Rs. 5.23 lakhs had been given to the needy by his coordinating secretary Kushan Thilakaratne although such mobile eye camps had not been held nor any ministry officials had taken part in any of these eye camps.
“These frauds are only a tip of an iceberg and more details in to other frauds taken place at the Social Services Ministry are to come out shortly. We need the law enforcement authorities to take up these issues and to bring the culprits, irrespective of their status, to book under the good governance concept,” sources said.
Refuting allegations levelled against him, former Social Services Minister Felix Perera said that he had not robbed even a single cent from anyone and pointed out that in addition to the donations made by the Social Services Ministry, he himself had distributed wheel chairs, walkers, clutches, artificial limbs, etc. to the deserving people spending his own money.