About 2389 education sector projects on hold
View(s):A senior Education Ministry official said the education sector has put on hold about 2389 construction projects throughout the country, after the government decided to put such ongoing projects on hold.
These projects were related to the construction of school buildings.
The official said they may be able to complete some of the projects with the remaining money. However many buildings including class rooms, science labs, staff quarters and toilets have been put on hold.
The previous government’s programme ‘the nearest school – the best school’ has also been put on hold due to a lack of funds.
The education sector is one of the most affected after this decision, which was made on the basis that money has not been allocated for the projects and money be available only in August this year, after a budget is passed, he added.
The government is currently running on a vote on account for three months, and plans to introduce another vote on account in May.
The official said that over 3,500 million was due to be paid to the contractors and payments have been held back for the past four months. They have stopped work until the payments are made.
He also said some of the buildings have been partially constructed and may be damaged if construction work stops.
“This could also be an inconvenience to students as some of them are in temporary shelters at the moment,” he said.
He said an estimated Rs 15 billion is needed to complete the ongoing projects.
- Damith Wickremasekara