Rs 1.3 billion for nearest school best school project
View(s):The treasury has released Rs.1.3 billion to go ahead with the programme of converting the nearest school to the best school amidst complaints from contractors the payments due to them had not been made. Accordingly, the funds will be used to go ahead with the project, but the Ministry of Education will still need Rs.4 billion to go ahead with the remaining to go projects and complete payments.
The delay in payments forced some of the contractors to slow down construction or abandon projects. Education Times learns that the contractors made representations to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe about the delays which eventually prompted the Prime Minister to intervene and issue a directive to make a separate allocation for the project.
The treasury had earmarked Rs.25 billion this year but only Rs.12 billion has been allocated thereby delaying construction. A senior official of the ministry said the project is operational in 9,000 schools. The education ministry had called for a progress report on the projects and reportedly 7,000 tasks have been completed upto October 31. They include construction of class rooms, teachers and principals quarters, sports complexes, laboratories, sanitary facilities, water facilities, upgrading schools, dental health facilities and major and minor repairs.
- Damith Wickremasekara