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Transport Minister moves to purchase train carriages without President’s approval |
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2009-08-06 | 10.30 AM |
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Sources from Temple Trees say that Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma has submitted a suspicious cabinet paper for approval to purchase 12 train engines and 100 train carriages from China.
Sources also said Alahapperuma’s keen interest to get the relevant cabinet paper approved at a meeting the President would not be chairing has raised even his suspicion as well.
When any minister presents a cabinet paper, the Cabinet Secretary distributes the relevant cabinet paper among all cabinet ministers for their perusal and is then taken up for approval at a cabinet meeting week later. It is therefore common practice to circulate the cabinet |
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paper among other cabinet ministers for them to study the matter before granting their approval for the request. Although cabinet papers of national importance could be brought before the cabinet as urgent documents with Presidential approval, it should have the consent of all cabinet ministers.
The Transport Minister disregarding all the accepted traditions had handed over the relevant cabinet paper to the Cabinet Secretary last Friday; and had said it had to be taken for approval at this week’s cabinet meeting. The move to present the cabinet paper to the meeting that would not be attended by the President in such a hurry has even raised the level of curiosity of the Cabinet Secretary.
The Transport Minister had on earlier occasions got cabinet approval for several cabinet papers related to the Motor Vehicles Department in a similar manner when the President was not attending the meeting.
It is learnt that one businessman called Jayasekera is behind the deal to purchase the above mentioned train engines and carriages. Jayasekera also operates a business called Island Wide Marketing together with Bandula Jayaweera, who is a contractor in the construction of the Colombo-Katunayake highway.
Jayasekera, who was the local agent behind the importing of 12 express trains in the past, publicly gave a sum of Rs. 50 million that was his commission in the deal to the Transport Minister to build a hostel for the railway workers.
It is learnt that Jayasekera had publicly promised to extend more help to the Transport Ministry than on earlier occasions if he is handed over the tender to import 12 train engines and 100 carriages.
He is also acting as the Transport Minister’s closest confidant these days and has pledged to provide full financial backing for Alahapperuma’s campaign in the Matara District during the next election.
Railways General Manager has made an urgent request for 600 train carriages to carry out normal railway functions. The Transport Minister has decided to import this consignment of train engines and carriages from China with full knowledge of its inferior quality.
An order placed for 100 train carriages by then Transport Minister Felix Perera in 2005, was only received in 2008. There are many allegations leveled against the quality of the train carriages that have been imported before receiving the full consignment of the order placed in 2005.
Railway trade unions have openly requested for reasons behind the Minister’s decision to import train carriages from China when they are said to have been of poor quality. The unions question if the reason is due to the high commissions that would be received by the deal.
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