Office non functional

18 August 2010 07:35 am

By Jamila Najmuddin

The operations of the office of the Deputy Minister of Highways is still non functional as a new or acting deputy minister of highways is yet to be appointed following the removal of the former Deputy Minister Meryn Silva.

Sources from the Highways Ministry told Daily Mirror online that the areas looked into by the Deputy Minister had come to a complete standstill and it would remain that way till a new Deputy Minister was appointed.

Sources added that the Deputy Highways Minister’s office also remained shut and no one was allowed to enter till such time a replacement was appointed.

“There is a lot of speculation that Mervyn Silva is still handling his responsibilities even after he was asked to leave. But that it not true. Currently the Deputy Minister’s position remains vacant and all the official work looked after by him has come to a standstill,” sources said.

However the Highways Ministry to which President Mahinda Rajapakse is the Minister continues to function as normal.

The office used by Silva when he was the former Deputy Highways Minister had been padlocked and police deployed around it soon after he was removed from the post by President Rajapakse.

The Police had also been instructed not to allow anyone enter the office. (Daily Mirror online)