Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2015-07-22

Expenditure incurred by the institutions under the Ministry of Internal Transport during the last Presidential Election period, on unofficial external matters

- Hon. Ranjith Maddumabandara, the Minister of Internal Transport, submitted to the Cabinet, the following information regarding the expenditure incurred by the institutions under the Ministry of Internal Transport, during the last Presidential Election period:

* the National Transport Commission has incurred an expenditure of Rs.8.2 million, for a meeting held between the former President and bus owners/ drivers/ conductors;

* the buses of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) have been deployed to transport people for political rallies and only an advance of Rs.50 million has been paid in that regard. The relevant invoices have been forwarded to the General Secretary of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), for the sum of Rs.142.5 million due to SLTB in that regard, but no action has yet been taken to settle the said bills;

* the Shalika Ground of the SLTB has been used for political activities and as a result the playground has been damaged and a stretch of the wall nearly 50 feet in length has been demolished and therefore a considerable expenditure would be incurred for the relevant renovation activities.

The Cabinet, having taken into consideration the above facts, decided to take legal action against the relevant parties in order to collect the relevant dues and obtain compensation for the losses caused.