Nuts and bolts theft from new Kelani Bridge: Govt. now tells a watered-down story

By Saman Indrajith

Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena told Parliament yesterday a totally different story from the one he related last week, at a special press conference.

Gunawardena said last week that drug addicts had stolen more than 700,000 kilos of nuts and bolts from the Golden Gate Kalyani (New Kelani Bridge), which was constructed with loan assistance from Japan was false.

Responding to a question raised on Tuesday by dissident SLPP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera in Parliament, Minister Gunawardena said that some PVC pipes, connected to the railings of the bridge for the draining of rain water, several lamps , and pieces of air-conditioners fixed at the building managing the information system had been stolen.

Dayasiri and Bandula

The cost of the stolen pipes was four million rupees while the loss incurred by the theft of the parts of the air conditioners was estimated at Rs 500,000. A loss of one million had been caused by the theft of the lamps. The total cost of the theft had been about six million rupees. There has been no loss running into several hundred million rupees and bolts and nuts had been removed from the bridge. Those bolts could not be removed without using special equipment. Such equipment should be obtained from the engineering and construction companies. Had the bolts been removed, the bridge would have been in danger. The statement bolts of the bridge were stolen is not true,” the Minister said.

Jayasekera demanded an explanation from the government as to how drug addicts had been able to steal more than 700,000 kilos of nuts and bolts from the New Kelani Bridge, which was constructed with loan assistance received from Japan.

MP Jayasekera on Tuesday said that there were media reports that drug addicts had removed nuts and bolts worth Rs. 280 million in 599 days. “They come to about 7.5 million kilos of iron. A single bolt is said to weigh five kilos. It means 1.5 million bolts have been stolen. Even if 100 bolts are removed a day, it would take years. As per the reported estimate, the drug addicts have removed at least 1,300 bolts a day. Even if they start work at 6 am and work till 6 pm, they would be able to remove only 10 bolts. Have they actually removed these bolts? Is this story true?” the MP queried.