The Urban Development Authority (UDA) which comes under the purview of the Defence Ministry has taken charge of the planning unit of the Ja-Ela Pradeshiya Sabha amidst mounting complaints of corruption and other malpractices, UDA officials said yesterday.
They said the move followed a large number of complaints ranging from wrongful approval of building plans of several factories and industries in the area to issuance of operating licences and other clearance documents to factories, without adhering to environment and safety standards.
They said the licence for a factory producing roofing sheets had been cancelled after it became clear that it had been fraudulently obtained from the Ja-Ela PS. Legal action is to be taken against the factory owner.
Confirming the takeover of the planning unit, Ja-Ela PS Chairman L. N. Abeywickrama said his officials would cooperate with the UDA.
When asked about the allegations of corruption, the chairman said there was a huge concentration of industries in the area and with the heavy workload there would have been some slips now and then, but he denied there was any corruption. |
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