Millions poured in, but proposed cricket university remains stalled

COLOMBO (News1st): The project on the proposed cricket university in Kandy, for which Rs 26.25 million had been spent by 2018, has been stalled, a News 1st investigation has shown. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), on April 22, 2017, had decided to spend Rs 26.25 million annually for three decades to construct the stadium, while also spending Rs 25 million for two other projects. The cheques for these payments had been written by hand, to make the payments in a method that is outside the laid out procedure, according to a forensic audit report. It has also been revealed that an outside entity had been chosen to manage the project although a National Development Committee had been tasked with managing constructions handled by SLC. The local cricketing authority had failed to submit an application to the education secretary to establish the degree awarding institute until June 30, 2019. Applications to register a degree awarding institute must be submitted to the education secretary, according to a gazette published on August 22, 2013. However, SLC officials had continued to spend Rs 707,500 for the preliminary work of the university, and Rs 525,000 as legal fees for the lawyer involved in the project. Tax payments for 22 months starting from March 11, 2019, that amount to Rs 675,000 had also been paid by cheques after deducting withholding taxes from the total liable tax that stood at Rs 707,500. According to the timeline of the proposed cricket university, the foundation stone should have been laid on the 26th of September 2018. However, that had not taken place. The audit report showed that officials of Sri Lanka Cricket had failed to complete the basic infrastructure of the facility by the 1st of August 2019. The audit also found that Sri Lanka Cricket is liable to settle 190,935 rupees by the 31st of December 2019 as assessment tax.