Though governor refuses ... no change in decision to bring luxury chirs to Western provincial council

Though governor refuses ... no change in decision to bring luxury chirs to Western provincial council

Though protests have been levelled from various factions, there is no change in the decision to expend a sum of Rs. 8 million, 640 lakhs to buy luxury chairs for Western Provincial council MPs, it is understood. Chief secretary of Western provincial council, Mr. Pradeep Yasaratna said that already an order has been placed with a supplier in Belgium who has been handed the contract of supplying 135 chairs at the rate of Rs. 6,40,000. The number of MPs is 104 at the Western provincial council. As such, an additional number of 31 chairs

have been ordered.

Though the cost of one chair is Rs. 2 lakhs, when customs taxes, shipping charges and vat tax is included, the cost of a chair would be somewhere over Rs. 6,40,000, Mr. Yasaratna said. He also added that the supplier has been advised to attend to further modifications too. These chairs similar to the ones used in parliament have been fixed on rollers; those can be rotated at 360 degrees and with facility to adjust the seat at high or low level, Mr. Yasaratna said.

In the meantime JVP provincial council MP Mr. Sunil Batagala said that only eight provincial council members proposed that the chairs be purchased here, contrary to those being bought from outside -- thus opposing the transaction. Though Western Provincial Council governor Mr. Hemakumara Nanayakkara advised that purchasing the chairs be suspended, it has come to be known that the said provincial council has not heeded it.

(Sunday Times)