Oversight Committee recommends govt. to takeover Batti Campus

The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Education in its report presented in parliament today recommended that the government should immediately take over the controversial Batticaloa Campus under the provisions of emergency regulations.

SOC Chairman and MP Ashu Marasinghe said the committee also recommended that property and buildings of the Campus should be assigned to the Eastern University after the investigations were completed.

He said investigations on the Batticaloa Campus had revealed that the funds had been received through illegal means and the putting up of buildings were also unauthorised.

The MP said the committee had recommended that an investigation should be carried out by the external affairs ministry and the Saudi Embassy to ascertain the channel through which the campus was funded.

"Hiras Hisbullah, who made a statement before the committee on March 14 said it was a donation and later said it was a foreign loan. They had submitted five loan agreements on May 21. But the Bank of Ceylon had not been informed of any such loan," he said.

The MP said the report had also recommended strong action against those responsible for the illegal activities connected to this campus.

JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake pointed out the need to take over the campus immediately and requested for a full day's debate on the committee report.

House Leader Lakshman Kiriella said the government was ready to allow a debate on this matter.