An audit conducted by the National Youth Services Council has revealed that Rs. 323 million was spent on organizing 14 “Smart Youth Exhibition & Night – 2024” music shows across Sri Lanka.
The audit covered expenditures incurred under the administration of the then Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando. According to the report, the total amount spent amounted to Rs. 320,339,323.
The music shows were held at various locations, including Maharagama, Galle, Ampara, Kuliyapitiya, Puttalam, Dambulla, Jaffna, Mahiyanganaya, Hatton, Hingurakgoda, Bandarawela, Welisara, Colombo Racecourse, and the Kettaramaya Stadium.
The breakdown of expenses for selected venues is as follows:
- Mahiyanganaya Public Stadium (Badulla District): Rs. 64,986,789
- Bandarawela Municipal Council Stadium: Rs. 20,179,185
- Maharagama Youth Center: Rs. 16,667,851
- Samanala Stadium (Galle): Rs. 31,417,778
- Weerasinghe Stadium (Ampara): Rs. 9,491,477
- Kuliyapitiya Technical College: Rs. 68,105,908
- Puttalam Beach Stadium: Rs. 14,834,651
- Dambulla: Rs. 15,289,150
- Muttawali Stadium (Jaffna): Rs. 39,037,339
- Hatton Dunbar Stadium: Rs. 234,592
- Hingurakgoda Dudley Senanayake Stadium: Rs. 14,830,835
- Kettaramaya (Colombo): Rs. 13,685,800
- Colombo Racecourse: Rs. 14,571,192
- Welisara Nawaloka Stadium: Rs. 60,700
Notably, significant discrepancies were observed between estimated and actual expenditures for certain events. For instance, while the Jaffna show was initially estimated to cost Rs. 491 million, the actual expenditure amounted to Rs. 390 million. Similarly, the Hatton show had an estimated budget of Rs. 109 million, but only Rs. 234,592 was spent. For the Welisara show, Rs. 4.21 million was estimated, yet just Rs. 60,700 was utilized.
The audit report, along with all related documents, has been submitted to the Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. In response, Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Eranga Gunasekara has reportedly instructed a formal investigation into the findings of the report.
