• 11 imported machines worth Rs. 347 m too wide for roads
• Decision taken in 2024 to dispose for Rs. 4.4 m
• NAO demands disciplinary action; RDA admits no needs assessment
• Current Chairman to study case

A staggering loss of public funds has been exposed by the National Audit Office (NAO), which has revealed that 11 road construction machines worth Rs. 347.37 million, imported in 2010, have remained idle for 14 years and are now to be disposed of for just Rs. 4.4 million. 

According to the latest audit report on the Road Development Authority (RDA), the 11 aggregate chip spreaders had been imported and handed over to the RDA by the Presidential Task Force during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term in office. 

However, the machines, each measuring 4.2 metres in width, could not be used as they exceeded the standard width of roads in the country and have remained unused since the day they were handed over.

The NAO has further revealed that it had been decided in 2024 to dispose of the machines after 14 years for Rs. 4.4 million. 

Accordingly, the relevant machines had been kept idle, due to the knowledge that their ability to meet the authority’s requirements was in question, as stated in the audit report.

An aggregate chip spreader is used to evenly spread small aggregate stones over freshly-laid asphalt in a process known as chip sealing, intended to extend the lifespan and durability of roads.

The RDA management in its response to the audit finding has stated that these machines were purchased and provided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs without conducting a formal study of the institution’s needs and that the machines could not be used to operate on existing roads throughout the island. 

The machines had not been used since the period they were handed over to the authority, since bitumen paving is not currently being carried out on Grade ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads maintained by the RDA.

The NAO has recommended disciplinary action against the officers who accepted these unusable machines and kept them unused.

When contacted by The Sunday Morning, RDA Chairman T. Paskaran admitted he was unaware of the incident but said he would review the relevant file before deciding on possible action.

Ranjith Pemasiri, the RDA Chairman in 2010, said he could not recall the incident after 15 years but would verify records for further details.

The RDA was established under the Ministry of Highways by the RDA Act No.73 of 1981, taking over from the Department of Highways in 1986. The authority has since been tasked with the maintenance, development, and management of the country’s national highway network, including trunk (‘A’ class) and main (‘B’ class) roads, new highways, bridges, and expressways. As of the end of 2010, the network consisted of 12,020 km of roads and 4,456 bridges.

In 2010, Basil Rajapaksa held the position of Cabinet Minister of Economic Development, while then President Mahinda Rajapaksa held the portfolio of Highways, Ports, and Shipping between April 2010 and January 2015.