Rs. 57 million allocated to grant financial aid to students who passed the Grade 5 scholarship examination has not been paid during the previous government, a report of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) stated.
COPA Chairman and Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said this was revealed when the Education Ministry Secretary was summoned before the Committee to inquire on an audit report by the Auditor General for 2005-2013. The ministry secretary who explained about the matter before the Committee on January 27, had stated the payments could not be done properly as the required information were not properly furnished by the schools.
Alagiyawanna said the ministry secretary was asked to formulate a mechanism to pay the scholarship grants without any delay.
The COPA report for the first quarter of the year was presented to Parliament on September 22 by its chairman.
Inquired about the matter from Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, he said the officials of his ministry have been asked to improve the efficiency of the work at the ministry.
“I have not made any interference.
There is no way such a delay can continue now.
I will inquire about the progress of these payments,” he said.
Add new comment