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(Lanka-e-News- 19.Aug.2012, 11.50PM) Lanka e news is in receipt of a most sorrowful and dismaying report that , because a 10 % commission was demanded on the aid of Rs. 240 million to be provided by the International red Cross to build houses for the displaced persons following the war , this aid had been withdrawn by the ICRC.In connection with this project a representative of the International Organization ( ICRC ) had arrived recently in SL . It is none other than the people’s representative, the SL’s Minister for resettlement who has demanded this 10% commission amounting to Rs. 24 million from the ICRC representative. He had added that if that is not consented to , the project cannot be allowed to proceed. The secretary to the Ministry , Bandusena had discreetly stated, that sum is required for another resettlement project of the Ministry.
The ICRC representative who was rudely shocked at the Ministry’s outrageously shameless attitude had stated that he has no permission to concede to the Ministry’s demands , and that this aid is only to be channeled towards resettlement of displaced persons. In any event , the MaRa regime had intimated by Fax that it cannot grant permission for this ICRC project.
Though the ICRC project is rejected , it is no issue , as the monies received by the Ministry of Wimal Weerawansa is adequate to build the houses, it has pointed out.
It is very unfortunate because of the overriding greed of this MaRa Govt. for collecting illicit commissions , the Rs. 240 million aid towards building houses for the suffering displaced persons had been denied .
Meanwhile , the ICRC representative who toured the north recently had discovered that a large quantity of the Rs. 7 million worth roofing metal sheets which were donated by the ICRC earlier to be used for the displaced persons , have been instead used by the govt. for the roofs of Bunkers and Army camps . When the ICRC representatives had tried to take photographs of these wrongful uses, the Army had forbidden them, according to reports.
Earlier on Indian media exposed that 20 % of the metal sheets provided by India towards the displaced persons were similarly misused by the army.
