The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak in today’s debate on the No-Confidence Motion against the Minister of Power.

¶ 02 Our party did not sign as a sponsor to this Motion initially for two main reasons: (1) this matter is already under examination by Parliament’s COPE; and (2) a case has been filed in the Colombo High Court against the Minister regarding prior alleged losses at the Fertilizer Corporation and he is presently on bail. In that context, we considered whether we should be signatories at that stage. However, upon reviewing the National Audit Office’s report now released, we recognize this issue is not one to be brushed aside. Therefore, we must make a decision today.

¶ 03 The power sector is not merely about money and electricity; it concerns national security, economic stability, and public trust in government. Accordingly, we assess this Motion on the basis of the Constitution, parliamentary and ministerial ethics, and administrative procedures.

¶ 04 First: breaches of ethics and good conduct. Ministers and MPs must act with integrity and be accountable to the public. Allegations here point to failures in that duty.

¶ 05 Second: administrative and technical negligence. The Minister appears to have failed to ensure timely and quality coal for Norochcholai, to minimize losses, and to avoid impacts on power supply.

¶ 06 Third: corruption charges. A charge sheet has been filed in the Colombo High Court alleging that when the current Minister served as Procurement Manager at the Fertilizer Corporation he caused losses of Rs. 8.86 million; he is on bail. While not yet proven, remaining in Cabinet under such circumstances runs counter to public interest and good governance.

¶ 07 We in Parliament oppose corruption, bribery, theft, and embezzlement. We do not view this as government vs opposition; we stand for good governance. The allegations against the Minister are serious. Whether guilty or not is for due process, but remaining in office under such serious allegations is inappropriate. The people’s mandate to the National People’s Power was against corruption; this Motion tests that mandate. Saying “you did corruption for 15 years, so you cannot speak” is not acceptable. Past wrongs must be investigated, but that does not bar addressing present wrongdoing.

¶ 08 On the Special Audit of LCC coal procurement for 2025/2026, key findings include: - Supplier selection irregularities: the winning company and three others admitted into the tender were not registered suppliers; one had been blacklisted earlier for substandard rice supplies. - Procurement principles breached: fairness and due process were violated. - Quality manipulation: required quality control procedures at load and discharge ports were not properly followed; the testing company’s reports conflict with the power plant’s data; alarmingly, the testing firm’s accreditation had lapsed. - Qualification criteria were deliberately relaxed to allow inexperienced firms into coal supply tenders without proper technical/legal vetting. - The bid period was cut from 42 days to 21 days. - Planning failures caused harmful impacts on electricity supply.

¶ 09 The Auditor General also notes that substandard coal with lower calorific value was imported from December 2025 to February 2026, reducing output at Norochcholai. Consequently, more coal had to be burned to compensate, creating estimated losses of Rs. 2,237.7 million. While the Minister stated surcharges could be recovered from suppliers, the question remains: can a Minister who allowed such a situation to arise remain in office? Increased ash (up to 25%) damages plant equipment and poses environmental disposal risks.

¶ 10 Therefore, financial accountability and ministerial responsibility require that a person under court proceedings should step aside—resign voluntarily—until the matter is resolved or innocence established. That would honor the mandate the people gave this government. Thank you.