This is public money that you spent according to your whims and fancies without proper planning...!!!

Govt. admits Rs 26 mn spent on Uma Oya inauguration before feasibility study done
by Saman Indrajith

The government admitted in Parliament yesterday that it held the inaugural ceremony for the Uma Oya project at a cost of Rs. 26 million even before a feasibility study or its environmental impact assessment were done.

Irrigation Minister Jayastissa Ranaweera revealed this in response to a query raised by JVP MP Samantha Vidyaratne.

Minister Ranaweera said that the inauguration was held because there was a necessity that if should coincide with the visit of the President of Iran which government has agreed to fund the project.

MP Vidyaratne said that the foundation stone had been laid for the project without conducting a feasibility study and a environmental impact assessment.

"Suppose the studies recommend that the project was not feasible what would happen to the funds spent on inauguration," he queried.

"This is public money that you spent according to your whims and fancies without proper planning," he said.

The Minister said that previous governments and Engineers had recommended that this project could be done and surveys and geological investigations are being done for design and construction activities of the project. The foundation stone for the project was laid on April 28, 2008. The overall allocation for the inauguration of the Uma Oya project was Rs. 26 million and it was obtained from the Treasury. The total estimated amount of money for the project was US dollar 590 million. The Export Development Bank of Iran has agreed to provide 450 million US dollars as a loan and the balance 140 million US dollars will be provided by the Sri Lankan government, he said. The project is expected to be completed in 2014 Minister Ranaweera said.

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