The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has slammed the officials of Department of National Zoological Gardens for spending ‘outrageously high’ amounts of money to purchase certain species of birds.

During its meeting on Wednesday, the COPA revealed that the Zoological Gardens Department, between 2018 and 2020, had purchased some species of birds for approximately Rs. 1.5 million despite the estimated amount being Rs. 50,000.

The difference between the estimated amount and the purchased amount was thus disclosed as 3,000%, which the COPA deemed ‘problematic’.

In this procurement, due to the condition that the supplier should provide 32 types of birds, the COPA said it drew its attention to the loss of nearly Rs. 17 million as the birds had to be purchased at exorbitant rates.

During the meeting, presided over by COPA chairman MP Lasantha Alagiyawanna, the Auditor General’s report and current performance of the Zoological Gardens Department was examined comprehensively.

The committee has questioned at length as to why there was such a drastic difference between the estimated cost and the actual cost of the purchase.

Thereby, the COPA, emphasizing the need for an accurate assessment, went on to call for a report on the matter and an internal circular in a bid to prevent such future occurrences.