Prime Minister’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake today (Sept 6) told an inquiry that the Agriculture Ministry had spent Rs 1.3 billion to sign a rent agreement and occupy its current building.
Giving evidence before the Presidential Commission probing state sector corruption, the witness said that the building had not been in a condition to be occupied when the agreement had been signed.
He further said that ministry officials should have inspected the building and reported its shortcomings to the cabinet and that the secretary to the agriculture ministry along with other officials should bear responsibility for this matter.
The Ministry of Agriculture had vacated its previous building in Battaramulla after cabinet approval had been granted to use it for the activities of 17 Parliamentary sectoral oversight committees.
The Ministry had then purchased a building owned by D.P.A Jayasinghe Company in Rajagiriya by paying a massive monthly rent of Rs 21.5 million.
Mr. Ekanayake pointed out that the Ministry had spent Rs 466 million to furnish the building in addition to the massive monthly rent which it had paid without occupying the building for about one-and-a-half years.
He also conceded the government could have saved billions of rupees if the Agriculture Ministry had occupied the 14th to 18th floors of the ‘Suhurupaya’ building owned by the Defence Ministry.
Earlier this week, a former additional secretary of the defence ministry told the Commission that the 'Suhurupaya' building had not been given to the agriculture ministry since it had been allocated for the megapolis ministry.
However, it had also been revealed before the Commission that the building had been vacant when the agriculture ministry had requested the defence ministry’s approval to occupy the building.
During today's sitting, the Prime Minister's Secretary also said that the issue pertaining to the current building would not have arisen if the Agriculture Ministry had sought the Attorney General's advice before signing the agreement.
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