An agreement with the Indian company - Ashok Leyland has already been signed to finalise the deal, which is said to be done sans a proper Tender procedure, reports say.

It is learnt that the deal is being done on the direct intervention of Transport minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The Cabinet paper submitted on this regard does not mention current prices or previously purchased prices of buses, reports add.

Although Cabinet approval has been granted to purchase 326 Leyland buses and 174 Tata buses, it is said that the minister is attempting to purchase all 500 buses from Ashok Leyland.

(Source : Lanka)