Thursday Oct 30, 2025
Thursday Oct 30, 2025
Thursday, 30 October 2025 05:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA) has raised serious concerns over procedural and financial irregularities in the North Western Provincial Council’s six-storey office building project in Kurunegala, revealing that construction has been suspended due to an ongoing supervisory inquiry and the absence of a mandatory feasibility study.
During a CoPA meeting held on 23 October 2025, chaired by MP Kabir Hashim, members examined the Auditor General’s Reports for 2023 and 2024 and reviewed the current performance of the North Western Provincial Council.
It was disclosed that although the Provincial Council and the Kurunegala Municipal Council had called for tenders and entered into an agreement with a contractor, the project has since been halted due to supervisory investigations. CoPA noted with concern that no feasibility study report, a prerequisite for such projects, had been obtained prior to commencement.
The Committee also questioned the decision to adopt a Design and Build Procurement Process, which assigns full design and construction responsibility to the contractor. CoPA observed that this approach was unnecessary for a standard six-storey office complex and likely increased the project’s financial burden on the Provincial Council.
The Committee directed that all procurement documents, technical committee reports, and related project records be submitted to the Auditor General within one month and summoned relevant officials for further examination.
In addition to the construction project, CoPA reviewed loan recovery efforts linked to funds distributed by the Department of the Food Commissioner through the Department of Co-operative Development to paddy-producing co-operative societies. The Committee instructed that a report outlining the recovery measures and timeline be submitted within two months.
The Committee also criticised the Provincial Land Commissioner’s Department for failing to maintain a comprehensive and updated record of State lands, including those leased long-term with or without approval and lands with arrears in lease rentals.
CoPA underscored the need for officials to act decisively in recovering monies due to the Government, assuring that the Committee would extend necessary support to ensure accountability. It recommended that a report on the total recoverable amount by year’s end be presented, noting that about Rs. 85 million in tax arrears remain unrecovered due to supervisory shortcomings.
The meeting was attended by CoPA members including Deputy Ministers Aravinda Senaratne and Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara and MPs Dr. Janaka Senarathna, T.K. Jayasundara, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Thushari Jayasinghe, Sagarika Athauda and Sunil Rathnasiri.
