19 June 2018 10:12 pm
The committee chaired by Nihal Fernando PC comprises Senior Attorneys Jagath Wickramanayake and Asoka Weerasuriya, former Assistant Auditor General D.L.P. Dias, Civil Engineer Chandana Edirisuriya and Agriculture Ministry Legal Officer G. Hector.
The committee is expected to study the circumstance that led to the Agriculture Ministry being shifted to another building from the state-owned ‘Govijana Mandiraya’ in Battaramulla.
The minister said the DPJ towers leased at an annual rent of Rs.252 million was not suitable to house the Agriculture Ministry and that there were legal issues with regard to the lease agreement.
"This ministry attends to the needs of millions of farmers and the people. The DPJ building lacks space for a proper library, conference room, proper access road waiting rooms, ample elevator facilities and even a spacious vehicle park," he said. "This building appears to have been built with the corporate sector in mind and not the state sector and paying a colossal Rs.21 million a month is extremely unfair. The lease agreement expires in five years and at that time the amount paid will be Rs.1, 560 million, sufficient to build two similar buildings."
The minister has requested the Speaker, Karu Jayasuriya to arrange for the return of the Govijana Mandiraya back to the Agriculture Ministry. He has pointed out that it was a national crime to use the DPJ Towers building while the Agriculture Ministry has its own building. (Sandun A Jayasekera)