Kanchana says false allegations levelled against coal term tender; calls for inquiry

Minister of Power & Energy Kanchana Wijesekera has officially requested the Chairperson of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) to commence an inquiry into the alleged irregularities of the awarded coal term tender.

He said false allegations levelled against the awarded tender have created suspicions about transparency and pricing.

In a letter directed to COPF chairperson MP Harsha de Silva, the lawmaker explained that the Lanka Coal Company (Pvt) Ltd. had called for tenders bearing Tender No: LCC/22/TT/1 for the procurement of 45,000 MT +/- 10% coal in line with the government procurement guidelines.

Despite proper process being followed in awarding the aforementioned tender, there are widespread allegations about the process followed pertinent to this tender, Minister Wijesekera pointed out.

Calling for an in depth inquiry into the procedure followed on an urgent basis as the procurement of coal for the next season is essential for continuous power generation, Minister Wijesekera said the it should be ascertained whether the process was transparent and competitive.

He assured that the Power & Energy Ministry and Lanka Coal Company (Pvt) Ltd. stand ready to provide all required information and documentation in order to assist the COPF on its inquiry.