News
Misdirected funds, misjudged needs
View(s):Story and pix by M A Pushpa Kumara
State authorities in Sri Lanka love to spend huge sums of money on various projects without even so much as a basic feasibility study. Many of these projects are supposed to help the public in their day-to-day lives and are often declared open with much fanfare once completed. Yet they often end up being white elephants that waste precious taxpayer funds.
One of the main reasons for much of this waste is the lack of proper maintenance. This means that many of these projects, sometimes opened with grand opening ceremonies that waste even more taxpayer funds, fall quickly into disrepair.
The Sunday Times captured some of the many instances where taxpayer funds have ended up being wasted.
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- Vacant bicycle stand surrounded by motor bicycles.
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- A banana leaf shaped public bus halt costing millions of rupees and yet leaving those taking shelter underneath wet during the rain and hot when sunny, near Diyatha Uyana in Battaramulla.
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- A currently non-functional public telephone booth in the city of Colombo.
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- A modern bus halt with hi-tech facilities now abandoned on Parliament road.
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- ATM vestibule now used as mop closet near Diyatha Uyana.
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- Mobile phone charging machines now non-functional.
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- Non-functioning parking ticket issuing machine at Bambalapitiya.
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- An illegible map to convey area information near the public bus halt Rajagiriya.
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