Wrong trucks for planting light posts

The Ceylon Electricity Board has spent a staggering Rs. 52 million of tsunami funds to purchase eight crane trucks which do not meet CEB technical specifications, The Sunday Times learns. The heavy vehicles which have already been distributed to different locations under the ‘STAART Project’, are unutilized. The crane truck which the CEB requires is for installing power line poles. However the crane trucks which were bought are those used for transporting logs and generally used by timber merchants.

Despite the CEB having around 60 crane trucks which meets the CEB specifications, these eight trucks which were bought using the tsunami funds, do not meet the specification. However as the crane trucks did not meet the required specification at the time of purchase the head of the CEB procurement division refused to sign the invoice, after which a demonstration was carried out to prove that the trucks could be used for CEB work, but the demonstration failed.

However the deal went through with the CEB making a payment of Rs. 52 million out of tsunami aid.

Meanwhile CEB General Manager D. R. Pulleperuma told The Sunday Times any purchase is made after it is put up to the Tender Board and the Technical Committee.

“It is difficult for me to give all the information regarding this particular case without studying it further”, he said.