The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake

New Democratic Front· National List· 20 February 2026 ·Adjournment: Adjournment Motion: Issues Relating to the Power Sector (Coal Procurement for Norochcholai)

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Hon. Ravi Karunanayake urged a forward-looking approach to power and energy policy, citing President Anura Dissanayake’s 2005 May Day statement on reforming the trade union movement. He questioned the short public consultation period for the new National Electricity Policy, noting that comments were invited only from 12 to 19 February despite the Public Utilities Commission’s usual 21-day requirement, and contrasted it with the six-month consultation period for the 2019 policy when he was Minister.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 I have 12 minutes. Hon. Presiding Member, time management lies in your hands.

¶ 02 As a former Minister in charge of Power and Energy, I am pleased to make some observations. I want to ask just one point of those who spoke. I begin with a statement by your leader, President Anura Dissanayake: “It is time for the trade union movement to shed old clothes and wear new ones,” said on May Day, 2005. More than saying “this happened then, now this happens,” we must think anew and take matters forward.

¶ 03 I am not going to ask about coal per se but something related: the National Electricity Policy is out for public comments. It was posted on the website on 12 February, then in the newspapers on the 17th, and comments closed by the 19th. Normally, 21 days are given. The last National Electricity Policy was in August 2019 when I was Minister; we gave six months. This is not to do things secretly but to obtain public views. Legally, the Public Utilities Commission must give 21 days. Why is it like this now?

Provenance

Source: Hansard, Friday, 20 February 2026 ·No. 23331 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 February 2026. No. 23331. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/30053