COPA finds Rs.10.08 Mn over payment at Civil Defence Force

Submissions before Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) revealed that salaries of Rs.10.08 million had been paid to a group of people who retired or died after working in the Civil Defence Department.

A senior official of the Civil Defence Department stated that this situation has arisen due to administrative irregularities in the department in the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and the related money is currently being recovered.

Officials of the Civil Defence Department stated that since the data for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 had not been recorded correctly, the salaries of the concerned persons had been paid as usual by the 25th of each month.

The concerned officials also stated that the salaries paid to the retired and deceased employees are being recovered. COPA met recently at the Parliament under the chairmanship of State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna and this information was revealed there. It was further revealed that no new recruitments are being made to the Civil Defence Department which is considered as a depleting Army.

Defence Ministry Secretary Major General Kamal Gunaratne said: “40,000 personnel of the Civil Defence Department have been trained. At that time, the government had a problem as to what field these people would be deployed in.

Some have been deployed in agricultural activities. Another group has been deployed to Government Ministries and security establishments. Recently, due to the threats of wild elephants to the villages, another group has been deployed for village protection. This is an institution where there have been many irregularities. We have taken the maximum possible legal steps.”

Chairman Lasantha Alagiyawanna said: “This is an institution that earns about nine hundred million a year. There is no separate Act for this institution. Therefore, this Act should be amended.”

The head of the Auditor General’s Department pointed out the following facts:” It was revealed that 440 retired or deceased employees had been paid salaries worth Rs.10.08 million for their continued employment.” Director (Administration) of the Civil Defence Department Brigadier Weerakkody said:” The data for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 were not recorded correctly. There were some administrative weaknesses.

The salary of the personnel should be adjusted by the 25th of each month. Now, the loss is being recovered.”

The post COPA finds Rs.10.08 Mn over payment at Civil Defence Force appeared first on DailyNews.