TENDER FOR STEEL HOUSES : SUMANTHIRAN TO FILE FRESH APPLICATION

Tamil National Alliance, parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran says he will file a fresh application, regarding the granting of a tender to supply steel prefabricated houses for the Northern Province, following his withdrawal of the previous Fundamental Rights case on Thursday owing to a fault – the failure to name Cabinet members as the respondents.

The matter was taken up before a three-judge-bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Sisira de Abrew, Justice Anil Gooneratne and Justice Vijith Malalgoda. Based on objections made by President’s Counsel Upul Jayasuriya and Counsel Kalana Jayasuriya on behalf of the first respondent, Minister D. M. Swaminathan informed Court that through the case the petitioner was challenging a Cabinet decision.

Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Parliamentarian Sumanthiran said that according to the documents that he had obtained, a Cabinet decision was not mentioned, but later it came to light that the decision was taken at a Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) meeting and the Cabinet had approved the minutes of that particular meeting granting approval to Arcellor Mittal Construction France to build 6,000 houses.

“There were fresh tenders called for this project and a CCEM meeting minutes says that the contract was granted to Arcellor Mittal and the Cabinet paper refers to this minute,” Sumanthiran said.