Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament D.V. Chanaka has challenged Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody to a public debate on any media platform over alleged corruption in the coal tender process.
The MP said he is ready to prove that the coal tender transaction is “entirely corrupt” and called on the Energy Minister to respond openly to the allegations.
Chanaka accused the current government of engaging in corruption and fraud from the early days of its administration. He recently raised the issue in Parliament, claiming that it involves a large-scale coal scam.
According to the MP, the government postponed the coal tender process until September, despite it traditionally being carried out in April.
He further alleged that tests conducted at the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant showed that the calorific value of the first two coal shipments received ranged between 5,600 and 5,800 kilocalories per kilogram (kcal/kg).
Chanaka pointed out that, under the coal tender guidelines, the minimum required calorific value is 5,900 kcal/kg.
