The Hon. D.V. Chanaka

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, when the House adjourns for lunch, please pause with three minutes left in my time.

¶ 02 I wish the Minister and our new State Minister well—he is from the Southern Province. In the past, some would mock dual ministerial leadership, but the Energy Ministry justifies two Ministers given the workload.

¶ 03 Before energy, I must address what happened this morning. The Government’s Chief Organizer, Nalinda Jayatissa, and the Minister in charge of Police criticized Derana TV and Aruna newspaper as spreading falsehoods about police reports, alleging they aim to create public unrest. It appears they seek to intimidate media using the law. Yesterday, I raised this issue. Today morning, I heard on Derana that to obtain a police clearance report, one must bring certifications from the National Police Commission and the Grama Niladhari. I asked the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Chandana Abeyratne, yesterday. He said the former Civil Security Committees are now Public Security Committees and the same process applies. Therefore, according to the responsible Minister, recommendations from the Public Security Committee Chair are required. Derana and Aruna reported the same. Yet the Minister in charge of Police says he will take the matter to the Ethics and Privileges Committee and act against the media. Two Cabinet Ministers are contradicting each other. Whom should we believe? We should believe the line Minister responsible.

¶ 04 I have here the form issued by the Moratumulla Police Station for obtaining local clearance. It lists the Public Security Committee Chair and the required documents: completed application, NIC, letter of request, recommendation from the local Public Police Committee Chair, and recommendation from the Grama Niladhari. I table this document.

¶ 05 Before pointing fingers at the media, go to Moratumulla Police and ask the responsible Minister. Two Cabinet Ministers cannot give opposite answers and then attack the media. Those who speak of media ethics should remember what they printed: the JVP’s “Lanka” newspaper in 2009, during the war’s final phase, ran “Risk of banks collapsing” (4 Jan 2009) and “Prabhakaran will flee to Cambodia” (25 Jan 2009), stoking unrest. Those who did that now attack Derana and Aruna.

¶ 06 Turning to Energy: Hon. Minister, even if my time lapses, I will pose questions. First, on bringing an investor to the refinery: your union earlier opposed bringing a private investor even with the Government holding 51 per cent. We said CPC and the refinery must be separated first, because CPC profits—Rs. 32 billion this year; Rs. 100 billion in 2023; Rs. 36 billion in 2024—would otherwise be mixed with refinery equity to the investor. You have not yet valued or separated the refinery. How will you bring an investor without separating CPC and the refinery?

¶ 07 Second, the Mannar 50 MW wind project. The President, not the Minister, speaks most about it, saying it is at Sri Lanka’s lowest price and contrasting with the earlier Adani proposal. I ask: who brought it, who allocated the land, who did the feasibility, and who did the RFP?