The Hon. Ajith P. Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, as the Minister of Energy is present, I wish to ask him an important question. Paragraph 6.6.3 of the Auditor General’s Report states that Taranjot Resources (Pvt.) Ltd. signed an agreement with the Government on 30th January 2026 to supply 300,000 metric tons of coal. The company has no prior experience in supplying coal with the required calorific value of 5,900–6,154 kcal. Their registration is defective. Allowing such a defectively registered company to enter into agreements is wrong, says the Auditor General in this report dated 2026.04.02, prepared at the request of the COPE Committee.

¶ 02 We know the current company, Trident Chemphar Ltd., cannot supply the required quantity in time, hence the spot/emergency tender. But the company that came for the emergency procurement also has no prior experience and has a defective registration. You are the Minister in charge of Lanka Coal Company (Pvt.) Ltd.; you appoint its Chairman; through your Secretary, you carry major responsibility for coal procurement policy. You spoke today; I request you to clarify these matters in your speech. I do not know if you will resign today or tomorrow. In a democracy, when the Auditor General presents such an independent report, a sense of shame and fear usually arises.

¶ 03 Until now you said the procurement was proper. But Trident Chemphar was allowed to bid while unregistered — wrong. The second emergency supplier lacks qualifications — also wrong. This is not my claim; it is the Auditor General’s. You recommended Cabinet papers on these matters; thus, you bear responsibility. Just like Keheliya Rambukwella now faces High Court indictments for misleading Cabinet with wrong information on substandard medicines, you have presided over the purchase of substandard coal. I ask: please answer these special urgent questions. Whether you resign or not is another matter. When the Auditor General’s Report — tabled by your Government yesterday — says Taranjot Resources (Pvt.) Ltd. has not met the stipulated qualifications, what is the future of that agreement? Under this emergency procurement, what is the Government’s policy? If you cannot answer, any responsible Minister may.