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| Friday, 30 July 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| Presidential Commission to probe roofing sheets scam by Dinushika Dissanayake The Cabinet has decided to appoint a Presidential Commission to probe irregularities in the distribution of roofing sheets received by the previous regime under the Indian credit line, Cabinet spokesman Minister Mangala Samaraweera disclosed yesterday. Ports, Aviation and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday that the previous government received 3.3 million corrugated sheets and 3,096,026 roofing sheets under the Indian credit line. "These should have been distributed to 1,026,675 families, namely 825 families each from 155 electorial divisions," he said. However only 882,000 sheets have been distributed. "There are 42 divisions which are yet to forward a list of the beneficiaries. They have still not informed the government or the relevant authorities as to who the beneficiaries are," he said, adding that there are 27 divisions from which no records of the distributions have been forwarded. There are a further 1.4 million sheets yet to be distributed. Minister Samaraweera said that the police had received 64 complaints on this matter and that 102,132 sheets had been seized by the police for illegal possession. "This is why the Freedom Alliance government has decided to distribute a large consignment of roofing sheets to deserving families," he reiterated. Housing Construction and Education and Irrigation Development in the East Minister Ferial Ashraff has obtained Cabinet approval to systematically distribute a large consignment of corrugated sheets and roofing sheets among the poor. He further said that under the new project 1.8 million corrugated sheets and 236,000 roofing sheets will be distributed. "Seventy five thousand deserving families are to receive these sheets and the distribution will take place with no political interference in a systematic manner," he said. The procedures for distribution under the new scheme will begin in August under the aegis of the National Housing Development Authority and District Secretaries. Preference will be given to female headed households and to families with handicapped persons, to ensure that the most deserving families will benefit. Minister Samaraweera said the eligibility criteria for the distribution will be released from the August 15 to August 31. Applications will be called from the September 1 to 15. From September 16 to 30, eligible applicants will be chosen while the priority lists will be prepared from the October 1 to 15. "We hope to begin the actual distribution to eligible families by October 20," the Minister said. |
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