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PAC hacks Agriculture Ministry’s Rs. 958 million rent
View(s):The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has made the shocking revelation that the Cabinet has approved the payment of Rs. 958 million over five years as rent for a building on the outskirts of Colombo to house the Agriculture Ministry.
The ministry is expected to move in to this building soon.
The PAC in its report, presented to Parliament this week, said the decision to lease the building was taken without assessing the value through a price committee or without obtaining competitive bids. It noted that no attention had been paid to construct a suitable building to house the Ministry on a one hectare Battaramulla land which belongs to the Agriculture Ministry.
The Ministry’s Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) who appeared before the Committee had said the decision to rent the building was made on a Cabinet paper presented by the Prime Minister and had also got approval of the Attorney General’s Department. The Committee said it would have to take measures as per the authority vested in it in relation to audit queries presented by the Auditor General on this matter. At present, the Agriculture Ministry is housed at ‘Govijana Mandiraya”. This is to be taken over by Parliament to house the newly appointed oversight committees.