Deputy Mayor calls for inquiry into fraudulent estimate report

By L.B.Senaratne

Deputy Mayor of Kandy, Suminda Wickramasinghe in a letter to the Commissioner of the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC), called for an inquiry into an alleged fraudulent estimate report issued by the KMC’s works department for approval to the works Committee.
The Kandy Times learns that an estimate report of Rs. 19 lakhs to start off work on the damaged Dangolla Bridge was put forward to the Works Committee for approval by the Works Department.

Mr. Wickramasinghe who is also the Chairman of the Works Committee, on receiving the estimate report did not approve the payment, as it was pointed out to him by the Commissioner of the Kandy Municipal Council, Anita Meegasmulla that any payment above Rs. 5 lakhs required a tender for its approval.

Subsequently at another committee meeting a fresh estimate report surfaced for approval, however, the required amount was not 19 lakhs but had been altered to read as Rs. 3 lakhs. It is at this point that Mr. Wickramasinge alleging a fraud called for an inquiry as to the alterations of the payments.

Meanwhile, 11 members of the Muncipal Council signed a petition, asking the Mayor L.B. Aluvihare in December last year to hold an inquiry into the goings on at the works department, saying the department was responsible for the hampering of their duties.

It is also learnt that 123 projects to be completed using funds from the Provincial Council Budget had not been completed, resulting in the funds being sent back to the Provincial Council.

With five zonal work sites set out in the Kandy Muncipality and hardly any work completed, residents of the area were pointing fingers of blame at the administration of the Council.