Thursday, 28 March 2024
Who's the sly one? Mahindananda or Dharmasiri?

Who's the sly one? Mahindananda or Dharmasiri? Featured

Media reports recently revealed that renovations of the synthetic track at the Sugathadasa Outdoor Stadium is to commence next January.

It was also reported that Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had halted a remaining payment of Rs. 30 million to Gahakola Landscaping - the local contractor that built the track.

The Rs. 113 million-contract for the project was given to Gahakola Landscaping on Dec. 05, 2010.

The Managing Director of this company is Dharmasiri Rahubadda.

Why GahaKola gets all Ministry tenders
The synthetic track was supplied by a German company named  Stockimeier Urechanes while it was installed by a Hong Kong based company named Asi-astro.

Following installation, the track was overseen by another international company named Trackmaster International while tests were run by a Dutch firm named SA Sports.

Gahakola is said to be the local agent of all these international companies.

Also, the close relations between the Sports Minister and Gahakola Landscaping is resonated by the fact that all tenders of the ministry are awarded to the company.

The company was even tasked with the laying of sod in the Nawalapitiya Jayathilaka Sports Complex - which is in the home town of the Sports Minister.

Is Minister crazy?
The tender paper for re-installation of synthetic track was issued on Oct. 15, 2010 under the supervision of Minister Aluthgamage.

Among the mandatory conditions in the tender required that the track type which was to be installed should have been already installed in at least five Class 1 stadiums.

The tender paper had clearly stated that if the particular condition cannot be fulfilled the applicant would be disqualified.

However, the installed Alston S.W. track can only be found in one Class 1 stadium, which is located at an international school ground in Beijing, China.

Accordingly, the critiques questions as to why else the tender was given to Gahakola which clearly violated the basic condition, if not for his own advantage.

The tender paper was itself full of corruptions as BOQ had specified the square area of the 400 metre track to be 9500sq. ft, when its actual size is 7454 sq. metres

Therefore it is certain that millions of additional state revenue was spent on 2000 sq. ft.

Can anyone argue that the track, which according to Minister Lokuge cost Rs 257 million, was not installed in a substandard manner by Minster Aluthgamage using only Rs.113 million?

Critics question whether the minister was in his right senses to award the tender to Gahakola Landscaping.