A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
(Full Story)
Search This Blog
Back to 500BC.
==========================
Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Suren Batagoda reveals all about coal mafia (video)
May 08, 2017
Interested parties are concerned by recent media reports that the government incurred a Rs. four billion loss in the purchase of coal by the Power and Renewable Energy Ministry. It was extensively discussed by the media, anti-corruption groups and politicians. The ministry and Lanka Coal Company traded accusations. It continued until the most recent incident, the resignation of CEB chairman Anura Wijepala. At all times, the key figure was ministry secretary Dr. Suren Batagoda.
Interested parties are concerned by recent media reports that the government incurred a Rs. four billion loss in the purchase of coal by the Power and Renewable Energy Ministry. It was extensively discussed by the media, anti-corruption groups and politicians. The ministry and Lanka Coal Company traded accusations. It continued until the most recent incident, the resignation of CEB chairman Anura Wijepala. At all times, the key figure was ministry secretary Dr. Suren Batagoda.
There are accusations and explanations, and since we consider it the
duty of the media to report both sides, we had a discussion with Dr.
Batagoda about this mafia.
Lanka Coal Company made a serious allegation after its director board
was dissolved in view of the recommendations and conclusions in a report
submitted by the auditor general on 30 December 2016 to the energy
supervisory committee of parliament. It insisted the ministry was to be
blamed for a Rs. four billion loss in the purchase of coal. Written
evidence has been placed before the media. This issue, that remains
unresolved since 2006, haunted the entire country and even leveled
serious accusations against the present regime too.
Up to the fifth purchase in 2014, the method of coal purchases has been a
failure. It worsened with the sixth procurement. On the cabinet’s
instructions on 04 September, 2014, Lanka Coal started the process to
select two suppliers to supply 2,250,000 mt of coal in a four year
period. The main challenge was to eliminate the irregularities that
existed in the previous purchases. However, that could not be overcome
and similar weaknesses existed in the sixth purchase too, with Lanka
Coal not rectifying them.
“Certain of Maithri’s deals are without an agreement”
“I’m accused only, I’m not asked why”
Six suppliers – Nobel Resources, Suek AG, Trafigura PTE, Adani Global,
Swiss Singapore and Liberty Commodities – were chosen. From them, the
technical evaluation committee selected the lowest bidder, Swiss
Singapore. According to the secretary, the technical committee, tender
board, cabinet, prime minister and the president have all approved the
deal. Dr. Batagoda says the coal purchase tender, after six years, has
now been brought under a proper procedure.
After the coal purchase fiasco, accusations were leveled against the
secretary over the purchase of electricity in emergency situations too.
Batagoda says the ministry has made that process methodical, but the
media and the others have not conveyed the correct message to the public
in that regard. He says the changing hands of state, public owned
property among friends at the Power and Renewable Energy Ministry has
become a thing of the past.
“Know the truth through the RTI act and speak”
“I ended the monopoly while Maithri tried to protect it”
According to him, Lanka Coal had acted irresponsibly. For certain
purchases, it did not have an agreement at least. Authorities can take
legal action in such situations. Especially in the controversy
surrounding the coal purchases, have the responsible officials acted in
an irresponsible manner? If the major foreign companies have committed
fraud, how did local authorities react?
Dr. Batagoda explained thus:
“Lanka Coal has not made a single payment properly”
“Is halting theft wrong?”
In the meantime, the secretary says Lanka Coal has not made a single payment properly, and all were paid in excess.
Since the right to information act is in force, anyone can have the
right to obtain correct information, he said, adding that this applies
to the Power and Renewable Energy Ministry too.
He questioned as to whether it was reasonable to give wrong information
to society even as there are provisions to obtain the correct
information.
(Ashika Brahmana/Nishantha Priyadarshana)