Irregularities in Central Provincial Council's Road and Transport Projects
29-Oct-2026.
Irregularities and implementation progress relating to road and transport projects undertaken by the Central Provincial Council came under scrutiny at a meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA).
The committee examined the Auditor General's three-year report for 2021–2023, the Auditor General's reports for 2024 and 2025, and the council's current performance.
The matters were discussed at a recent meeting of COPA held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim. The committee also reviewed issues discussed at its meeting on 21 May 2026.
Detailed discussions covered progress in road development and passenger transport projects being implemented in the Central Province, shortcomings in the preparation of road estimates, payments for construction work that did not meet required standards, and payments made for additional work undertaken without proper authorisation.
The committee also examined the improper use of electronic ticketing machines and technological systems introduced to improve the efficiency of passenger transport services. It sought information on measures taken to rectify the technical problems and ensure that the systems operated efficiently.
The meeting further discussed the subletting of land and buildings belonging to the Road Development Authority without lawful authorisation, the failure to recover outstanding rental payments, and disputes concerning ownership of government property.
Particular attention was given to the legal issues arising from the inability to collect rent for the Malabar House building after it was allocated to serve as a project office under the Gramashakthi programme. The committee considered steps taken to obtain advice from the Attorney General's Department to resolve the matter.
The need to put abandoned buildings and other properties to productive use was also discussed.
In addition, the committee examined disciplinary inquiries and related court proceedings concerning the destruction of official files without following the prescribed procedures.
