She says that though this is against the CTB EPF constitution, this money was given on a Cabinet decision to use it to pay outstanding CoL allowances of its own workers. Money that would be paid to the CTB by the Army in March for services provided by the CTB, will be used to replace these withdrawals.

But according to the chief accountant of the CTB Mr. Sanjeewa vaidyatilake, this money was taken to pay the festival allowances at the end of the year because there was no other way to raise this money and it would be paid back in installments.

Meanwhile a member of the CTB ETF protection committee said that for the first time in the history the members of the EPF committee were summoned to the Ministry and the money released on pressure of the transport minister and the ulterior motive of this exercise is to get CTB workers to participate at the Puja to be held at Kirivehera in Karatagama on the 31st of December to bless the President.