Incomplete constructions within schools endanger students: Auditor General
View(s):The Auditor General’s Department has flagged the “potential risk of accidents to students” due to a large number of prolonged incomplete constructions within school premises begun under the “Nearest School is the Best School Project.” It adds that no safety action has been taken to address this issue.
More than Rs 2 billion had been allocated for the project in 2024, yet expenditure during the year only amounted to 883.5 million, leaving nearly 1.2 billion, or 57 percent of the allocation unutilised, according to the Auditor General’s observations.
The project had not received any allocation in 2021, and as a result, following a Cabinet decision on March 31, 2021, work was terminated for contractors who had submitted bills up to December 31, 2021. Due to this decision, payments were withheld from contractors, causing many project contractors to halt construction work midway. Furthermore, the proper legal disengagement of these contractors and the accurate identification of payable amounts were not carried out, the Auditor General’s Department notes in its observations in the Education Ministry’s 2024 performance report.
Since 2022, the Education Ministry has allocated provisions for 34 projects as part of the programme, while provincial councils have made allocations for 213 projects and provincial education departments for 41 projects – totaling 288 projects, according to information obtained from the Ministry’s Construction, Services and Infrastructure Development Division as at December 31, 2024. Yet, due to the prolonged delays in completing these projects, they now pose a safety risk to students, the report observes.
HitAd.lk is the best and biggest mobile phone market in Sri Lanka, and we guarantee you will find what you need here from our extensive listing of mobile phones for sale in Sri Lanka. Whether it’s a budget-priced smartphone for communication, or higher end features with advanced connectivity, there are many different options from which to choose from on our site!