The shocking forgery and fraud that came to light in connection with a multi-million rupee government construction project has now been referred to the Institute for Construction Training and Development (ICTAD) for necessary action, Dr. P. Ramunujan, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development and Sacred Areas Development, said last week.

"We have forwarded the report to ICTAD", he said, referring to the alleged tampering by a private civil engineering company of a certificate which indicated the standard of the pilings of the Urban Development Authority’s Sethsiripaya project in Battaramulla.

The pilings were found to be below standard by a third party that later conducted an independent load test.

The engineering company entrusted with building the pilings for the project had secured a certificate attesting to the quality of the pilings. It is alleged the company tampered with the original certificate issued, and submitted a forged document to the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB).

Contrary to the factual ground situation, the forged certificate had indicated that the pilings were in order.

"The ball is now in the court of ICTAD", Dr. Ramunujan noted. "We have submitted our report and they should act on it".

He said that the construction company concerned has been asked to discontinue work on this multi-million rupee government project following the discovery of this forgery and fraud.

"Sure, we will be initiating corrective steps as soon as all the case details are made available to us", assured Asitha Pathirage, ICTAD’s Chairman.

"We should have the full information by this week", he said. "We will then examine where we could step in with corrective measures".

It should be first ascertained whether this is a contractual matter or whether it relates to registration, Pathirage pointed out. "I am awaiting more information".

"It is vitally important to safeguard the image and reputation of the construction industry by adopting corrective and preventive measures", experts in the sphere stressed.

This may be an isolated case concerning a private civil construction company, but the allegations of forgery and fraud should be thoroughly probed to preserve the good name and trust of the construction industry, they said.

"The authorities and institutions mandated to take corrective and preventive action in such situations should act swiftly".

The image and confidence the people and stakeholders have placed in the construction industry should be protected, the experts stressed. "This should be top priority".

Work on the Sethsiripaya project is continuing with the defects in the substandard pilings being rectified, authoritative sources assured.