A recent audit has uncovered a series of financial and procedural irregularities in the Rs. 135 million project aimed at upgrading the Pallansena Youth Correctional Facility in Negombo. Launched in 2020 by the National Planning Department, the project was intended to modernize the facility and reduce overcrowding. However, four years later, much of the work remains incomplete, despite significant expenditure.
According to the National Audit Office, Rs. 22.3 million in allowances were paid to Civil Defence Department personnel from January 2021 to December 2023 without proper authorization under Financial Regulation 136(1). Further scrutiny revealed that Rs. 4.6 million was spent on catering services between November 2020 and December 2021, violating procurement regulations laid out in Section 1.3 of Chapter XIV of the Establishments Code.
Although the government allocated over Rs. 105 million (excluding salaries and overtime), by the end of 2023, only 4 out of the 11 planned construction tasks had been completed. Some components of the project still lack estimated cost assessments. The original deadline for completion was December 2020, but by February 2024, major delays persisted.
The Prisons Department attributed these setbacks to broader national challenges, including delays in material procurement and supply by the Sri Lanka Navy, which was a key contributor to the project. It was also revealed that the sewerage system was procured separately under a different agreement with the Navy, and its cost was not factored into the Army’s original estimates.
Despite numerous review meetings aimed at accelerating progress, the Prisons Department noted that they were unable to directly influence all participating entities. As a result, the department took over procurement of some materials through its Pallansena Centre.
Commissioner General of Prisons H.M.T.N. Upuldeniya stated that while the project faced multiple delays, four buildings have now been completed and the remaining work is expected to be finalized by next month.
