Four-rupee storm in a cup of yoghurt

Yoghurt issue to nursing mothers stirs up Kesbewa UC

It has been revealed at the monthly meeting of the Kesbewa Urban Council that while making payment for cups of yoghurt provided to nursing mothers at various clinics run by the UC during 2013, an additional Rs.4 had been paid for each cup above the agreed price of Rs.25.

The UC had agreed at the previous monthly meeting to settle arrears on this expenditure on yoghurt at Rs.25 per cup. However the finance committee deviating from the decision of the council had paid the arrears at the rate of Rs.29 per cup, alleged UNP council member P.A.D Kumara Priyantha who raised this issue at the monthly council meeting last Friday.

The issue of yoghurt first surfaced in January this year. In 2013 yoghurt provided to nursing mothers who called over at maternity clinics of the Kesbewa UC had cost Rs.29 per cup. However, the same supplier in tendering for the year 2014 had agreed to supply yoghurt at Rs.25. This led to a stormy council meeting.

Several members pointed out that in 2013 the tender for the supply of yoghurt was awarded deviating from the established procedure through the intervention of a ruling party member. A suspicious situation had now surfaced with the same supplier agreeing to supply yoghurt at Rs.25. Accordingly the council decided to pay at Rs.25 when settling the e

In 2013 yoghurt to nursing mothers cost the Kesbewa UC Rs.29 for each cup.The same supplier had agreed to supply yoghurt at Rs.25 in 2014

arrears on supplies made in 2013.

The JVP member Chamara Madduma Kaluge pointed out that when this issue cropped up in January this year, it was decided to use a vehicle of the council and get down the yoghurt at the rate of Rs.23. That d decision too appears to have ha been overlooked, he remarked.

The Kesbewa UC C Chairman Sumana Vivien Rana Ranaweera disclaimed responsibilit sibility saying that the issue had surfac surfaced before his time and the provis provision of yoghurt to nursing mothers should not be delayed any more. “I have requested all officials to solve this problem; it is not I who makes the purchase; there are employees assigned for that task,” he said.

Commenting on the issue, UNP member Tenil Ratnasiri Fernando who said that those who had pilfered Rs.4 from each cup of yoghurt provided to nursing mothers, would be cursed invoked the devas to punish them.