TNA MP files FR petition in SC against French construction contract

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran yesterday, filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking an Interim Order preventing any steps being taken by Minister D.M. Swaminathan with regard to entering into a contract with a French construction company to construct 65,000 prefabricated steel houses in the North and Eastern Provinces.

In his petition, MP Sumanthiran cited D.M. Swaminathan the Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, Arcellor Mittal Construction France and the Attorney General as respondents.

The petitioners stated that there are irregularities in the tender process awarding the contract to construct houses for the war affected to the French company. He further said that there is lack of durability of the said prefabricated steel houses and environmental unsuitability of the said prefabricated houses.

The petitioner further alleged that the respondents are not employing local labour in the implementation of the project to construct the said prefabricated houses.

"I am further aware that the District Co-ordinating Committees of the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts of which I am a member, also passed a unanimous decision on or around 27th September 2016, rejecting the said prefabricated steel houses," the petitioner added.