A vessel carrying 60,000 metric tons of coal reached Sri Lanka last evening (Oct. 25), the Ministry of Power & Energy says.

Thereby, unloading this coal shipment will commence today.

This coal shipment was imported from the previously contracted company. According to the Power & Energy Ministry, five more shipments of coal are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka soon.

Meanwhile, the fundamental rights petition filed by Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha Thero challenging the decision to award the coal tender for Lakvijaya Power Plant to a Dubai-based company has been withdrawn.

The attorneys representing Ven. Sobhitha Thero has told the court that proceeding with the FR petition is not needed as the Sri Lankan government has already cancelled the coal tender in question.

A total of 49 parties including the Lanka Coal Company, the Cabinet of Ministers, the members of the procurement committee and the technical evaluation committee had been named the respondents in this FR petition.

The petitioner, alleging that Lanka Coal Company’s decision to award the tender to Dubai-based company Black Sand Commodities to procure 4.5 million metric tons of coal for Lakvijaya Power Plant is unlawful, had sought a court order revoking the said tender.