Sir John Kotalawala Defense University embroils with course fee defaults

Sir John Kotalawala Defense University is embroiled with issues relating to recovery of course fees in arrears of millions of rupees accumulated for several years and some land acquisition for its Southern Campus, recent auditor general’s report highlighted.

Course fees of Rs.45.97 million, which were in arrears for more than 04 years and Rs.10.82 million and US$ 118,107 for providing food and hostel facilities to foreign students had been remained in arrears for 1-4 years as at 31 December 2021, due to failure in collect course fees by the University on time the audit inspection observed.

76 university students, lecturers and other staff members who were in agreement with the bail bond conditions had to pay an amount of Rs. 75.03 million as of 31 December 2021 due to the violation of the said bail bond conditions.

Although legal action had been taken regarding the breach of these bail bond conditions, no satisfactory method or follow-up measures had been adopted to promptly recover the amount due as agreed upon, and the number of bail bond violations had grown four times in the year under review compared to the year 2020.

Even after 07 years have passed since the establishment of the Southern Campus affiliated to the University at the end of the year 2021/2022 under review, the 7.6883 hectares of land used by the campus had not been taken over.

Furthermore, the legal ownership of the 21.5815 hectares of land where the buildings of the University Teaching Hospital were built at a cost of Rs.32,318 million had not been transferred to the University by the end of the year under review.

As of the year under review, more than 5 years have passed since the completion of the construction, but the further work of acquiring the relevant land has not been completed.

Therefore, the value of this land was not reflected in the financial statements The Breast Health Center and the Nuclear Medicine Department have not been started for treatment services.

This was due to the failure to fill 31 vacancies including the positions of medical officer and radiographer in the approved staff of the radiology department of the teaching hospital.

Sir John Kotalawala Defense University Established by General Sir John Kotalawala State Defense Training Institutions Act No. 68 of 1981, to provide facilities and guidance for studies to cadet officers, officers, civil servants and any other person preparing for first degree.

The aim was , to promote brotherhood and goodwill between officers and cadets, to provide courses of study for obtaining postgraduate, diploma and other qualifications and the University