by Indika Sri Aravinda
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) found that Rs. 1,705,343/- was spent by the National Transport Commission (NTC) to print stickers of destination boards and details of emergency telephone numbers on three occasions in 2015 without following the proper procurement procedure.This was revealed by COPE in its latest report. The fourth report from the Committee on Public Enterprises (for the period from 01.09.2016 to 28.02.2017) was presented to Parliament in Thursday by the Chairman of the Committee, Sunil Handunnetti.
The COPE committee had found that a total amount of Rs. 37 million has been spent to renovate a part of a building to regulate inter provincial buses using GPS technology (Rs. 20 million) and to improve its technical network (Rs. 17 million) but the control room had not been utilised.
Of the 1,307 GPS equipment fixed in buses spending Rs. 79 million, some equipment in certain buses were not functioning properly and it was revealed that the reason for that is irregularity in maintenances.
COPE had recommended that payments for the party that did not carry out maintenance be suspended and that the party be blacklisted.
“It has been reported that no money has been paid for any external party for maintaining GPS equipment. It has been further reported that the Transport Commission does not fix GPS equipment and the laws have been formulated that the owner of the bus must fix and maintain the unit and Transport Commission only do the maintenances of the GPS equipment,” the COPE report said.
COPE also found that Rs. 8,009,310/- had been spent by the Transport Commission for a festival organised by the Commission and Rs. 1,891,000/- was spent to record a television documentary without the proper approval. COPE had called for an internal investigation to be conducted and a copy of the recorded television programme to be provided to the committee.
“It has been reported to the committee that investigation officers have been appointed after obtaining the approval of the commission to conduct an investigation regarding the ceremony at Shalika Ground and the television documentary programme related to the commission.
A soft copy of the TV program, recorded by the commission on 24.10.2016 has been referred to the committee,” the COPE report said.
COPE also found that during the reporting period seven electronic boards fixed to display the time tables for inter-provincial bus service and provincial bus services have stopped functioning.
The seven electronic boards fixed in 2013 at a cost of Rs. 62 million in Bastian Mawatha – Colombo, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Nuwar Eliya, Kataragama, Ranna and Puttalam to display the inter provincial and provincial running time tables of buses had stopped functioning.
COPE had also questioned the purchasing of a vehicle at a cost of Rs. 9.2 million though the Treasury approval was Rs. 8 million to purchase a vehicle for a former chairman of the National Transport Commission in 2014.
The president of the National Transport Commission had stated in a letter of response dated 29.09.2016 that the statement made by the Accountant before the Commission was false and he submitted a copy of the letter of response dated 17.11.2014 and No. BD/ID/184/2/2/3 sent by the Budget Department of the General Treasury responding to the letter that was submitted requesting additional allocations for the relevant purchases.
Apart from that by submitting a further report it has been revealed that approval had been granted for Rs. 8, 000,000/- to purchase a vehicle for the former president of the National Transport Commission and a letter dated 15.08.2014 has been sent to the Budget Department through the Secretary, Ministry of Private Transport requesting approval for the additional expenses but the General Treasury has informed in a letter dated 17.11.2014 that “ the maximum limit approved to purchase a vehicle at present is Rs. 8 million and the relevant expenses should be managed within that limit.”
But by that time Rs. 9,150,000/- has been paid by a cheque dated 19.08.2014 for the vehicle. The former president of the National Transport Commission has approved that.
COPE says the said vehicle has been purchased violating the recommendations of the National Budget Department.