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Corrupt
practices in KMC continue unabated who is trying to protect
the guilty?
KMC Officials Steal Charity Money from Poorest of Poor
Investigations that The Kandy News conducted in
the past few weeks reveal a most pathetic and distressing corrupt
practice indulged in by some KMC officials. They have been stealing
money earmarked as poor relief for the poorest of the poor.
The KMC provides a monthly grant of Rs 140 to Rs 200 to people
who are considered “destitute.” Typically the recipients
are either very old people or disabled who have very meager
alternative means of support. Those who are suspected of having
stolen the money are low level officials. It is believed that
they forged the signatures or thumb prints of the recipients
or entered the names of ghost recipients. A report submitted
to the Council states that the amount thus defrauded in the
last financial year is estimated to be Rs 54,000. But a senior
KMC official who spoke to us on condition of anonymity stated
that this could be an underestimate and in any event referred
only to one financial year.
KMC sources also report that an official in the
Water Supply Department has spent about Rs 95,000 over and above
the approved amount for fuel for his official vehicle. While
the driver of the vehicle and the storekeeper have been asked
to explain the over-expenditure the official responsible for
the vehicle has not so far been held accountable.
The alleged misappropriation from the stationary
stores in the Council involves a sum of Rs 1.6m. There is also
suspicion that the daily collection from street car parking
is not fully credited to the KMC account.
The scandal involving the rent-free existence
of the two grocery shops on the two sides at the main entrance
to the Kandy central market also remains unresolved. On September
30th, 2003 the Kandy Municipal Council reviewed this case and
passed a resolution ordering the central market administration
and the KMC Accounts Department to take immediate steps to takeover
the two premises within two weeks of the order being given.
The Council sent a written order on October 31, 2006 to the
Municipal Veterinary Surgeon to implement the proposal. But
the reply that was given in response to a question that the
senior Opposition MMC Sena Dissanayake raised at a recent Council
meeting reveals that no effective action has been taken to date
by the officials concerned to implement the Municipal Council
decision.
Documents that The Kandy News has seen reveal
that the KMC Trade License Revenue Division has regularly issued
permits to these two shops until 2005. It also appears that
both shops trade in goods for which the shopkeepers do not have
permission from the KMC.
MMC Anura Gonawela (JVP) is protesting against
the CID report submitted to the Council recently that claims
that there is insufficient evidence to file charges against
anybody who may have been involved in the fraud that involved
sub-standard imports worth Rs 19 million for the Gatambe water
purification plant. In May 2005 an official inquiry by a team
led by the Municipal Commissioner concluded that there was prima
facie evidence to believe somebody has defrauded the KMC by
importing sub-standard spare parts and equipment. The then Mayor
Kesera Senanayake handed over the case to the CID for investigation.
Mr. Gonawela who originally raised the issue in the Council
says that this is a clear case of lack of accountability. He
believes that somebody in an influential position in trying
to protect the miscreants and plans to appeal for a fresh inquiry.
A senior KMC official who spoke to us on condition
of anonymity was of the view that even when financial irregularities
are discovered official inquiries are not conducted with the
vigour that the situation demands. One reason was the interference
on the part of one or the other members of the Council on behalf
of the accused officers, he said.
The former leader of the opposition Sena Dissanayake
(PA) says that he regularly raises specific issues of corruption
at Council meetings but the promises that the administration
gives to inquire and punish the culprits are almost never carried
out.
Senior MMC Ilahee Abdeen (UNP) says that he too
has taken up the issue of corruption with successive mayors.
Mr. Abdeen is of the view that officials are more susceptible
to bribery and corruption when they are allowed to remain in
the same post or department for a long period of time. He wants
regular transfers to be effected.
Mayor L B Aluvihare who was associated with the
previous administration as Deputy Mayor for four years before
he took the mayoralty last April admitted that all was not well
KMC management and governance. He promises to take action against
corrupt officials as soon as possible. But on the suspected
fraud involving import of sub standard equipment for the water
purification plant Mr. Aluvihare stated that noting more could
be done beyond the inconclusive CID inquiry.
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Central Province Chamber Wins Top Award
The Chairman of the Central Province Chamber of
Commerce and Industry Anuruddha Warnakula (right) receives the
top national award on behalf of the Chamber for the best performance
in Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Nucleus Business Development
Program for 2006 from the Secretary General of the Federation
of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Samantha Abeywickrama at
the Nucleus Awards ceremony held recently at the Dharmaraja
College Auditorium. Trade Chambers and SMI Nucleus Groups from
seven provinces participated in the competition. Minister for
Regional Development Gunarathna Weerakoon was the chief guest
and the Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbakaduwa was the
guest of honour at the ceremony The Federation and the German
aid agency GTZ jointly organized the event.
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