<ul><li>Lanka Coal Company recovers Rs 17b through guarantees and penalties</li><li>NSO and EGL incur additional costs to maintain power generation</li><li>Govt says burden will not be passed on to electricity consumers</li></ul> The Electricity Generation Lanka (EGL) Private Limited and the National System Operator (NSO) Private Limited have collectively incurred an estimated loss of Rs 15.765 billion due to substandard coal supplied during 2025 and 2026, while the Lanka Coal Company Private Limited has recovered Rs 16.989 billion from the supplier through performance guarantees and penalties, Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said.Making a Ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday (8), he said that issues relating to coal quality during the 2025-2026 period had affected both the EGL and the NSO, resulting in additional costs to maintain electricity generation and address shortfalls in power supply.According to the Minister, the NSO incurred additional expenditure to procure electricity that could not be generated due to the poor quality of coal supplied. The EGL, meanwhile, had to spend on obtaining additional coal, carrying out essential maintenance and meeting increased handling costs.“The NSO has incurred an additional cost of Rs 8.572 billion. The EGL has incurred Rs 7.192 billion to obtain additional coal, carry out essential maintenance and meet additional handling costs. The combined loss calculated so far therefore stands at Rs 15.765 billion,” Karunathilaka said.He said that the Government had decided that the financial burden arising from the substandard coal issue would not be passed on to the public.“As the President and the Government, we said that we would not pass this burden on to the people under any circumstances,” he said.Karunathilaka added that the Lanka Coal Company had retained Rs 16.989 billion from the coal supplier through performance guarantees and penalties imposed in relation to the incidents.The issue of coal quality has remained contentious in Sri Lanka’s power sector, particularly in relation to coal supplied to the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai last year. The controversy led to the resignation of then Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and Energy Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala.A Presidential Commission of Inquiry was subsequently appointed to investigate past coal procurement and supply processes and the circumstances surrounding the allegations.

Substandard coal costs power sector Rs 15.8b

<ul><li>55 new hostels to provide 16,000 additional places&nbsp;</li></ul> The availability of hostel facilities remains limited across State universities, with accommodation currently available for only 63,318 of the 150,815 students studying at 22 universities under the University Grants Commission (UGC), Prime Minister and Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament yesterday (8).Responding to a question raised by Opposition Parliamentarian and attorney Chamindranee Kiriella on hostel facilities at State universities, Dr Amarasuriya said only 42% of students at UGC universities could currently be accommodated in university hostels.She said there are 22 State universities operating under the UGC, in addition to five universities established under separate Acts of Parliament – the Bhikshu University, the Buddhist and Pali Studies University, the Vocational Technology University, the Ocean University and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU).The five universities established under Acts have a combined student population of 15,098, but hostel facilities are available for only 1,841 students.All 465 students at the Bhikshu University have been provided with hostel accommodation, while 442 of the 551 students at the Buddhist and Pali Studies University have hostel facilities. This includes 80% of local students and all foreign students.The Ocean University has 1,516 students, but hostel facilities are available for only 196, or 12.92%. At the Vocational Technology University, only 332 of its 4,348 students, or around 7.6%, have hostel facilities. The accommodation is available only to female students, with no hostel facilities provided for male students.At KDU, 406 of the 8,218 students, or 4.94%, have been provided with hostel accommodation.“There is a need to improve hostel facilities across the State university system,” Dr Amarasuriya said, noting that only 42% of students at UGC universities could currently be accommodated in university hostels.“Among the 150,815 students in the State universities coming under the UGC, hostel facilities can currently be provided for 63,318 students. This is 42% of the total student population,” she said.She added that a project to construct 55 new hostels at UGC universities had already been launched, with the Government expecting the project to provide accommodation for an additional 16,000 students.Rs. 1.5 billion has been allocated for the project this year (2026), while a further Rs. 853 million has been allocated under the 2026 Budget for the renovation of university hostels.The UGC is also preparing an overall hostel policy aimed at providing fair, transparent, safe, affordable, accessible and inclusive hostel facilities for State university students.

58% undergrads without hostel facilities 

<ul><li>&nbsp;Shrimp farming, hotel construction blamed&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> Environment Minister Dr Dammika Patabendi yesterday (8) admitted that 17 of the 65 mangrove reserves identified in the Puttalam District are currently under threat due to various activities, after Opposition Parliamentarian Hector Appuhamy raised the issue in Parliament.He said that while 43 of the 65 mangrove forests in the District had already been declared protected reserves, 17 are facing threats from various activities. “A number of measures are being taken to protect mangrove ecosystems. The main measure is to declare these forests as protected areas,” he said.Raising the issue, Appuhamy claimed that mangroves are being completely cleared for shrimp farming in the Galahitiyawa area of Madampe in the District. He also said that mangroves are being destroyed in the Kakkapalliya area of Puttalam for the construction of a hotel.Responding, Dr Patabendi said that the Environment Ministry would investigate the two incidents and take appropriate action. “I will look into these two specific incidents and take action.”Dr Patabendi further said that 121 mangrove forests had been declared protected areas by 2024, with another 20 mangrove reserves being added under the National People’s Power Government, bringing the total number of mangrove reserves to 141. These reserves cover a total of 20,664.51 hectares (ha), he said, adding that 460.51 ha of mangrove areas had been declared as reserves since the present Government came to power.He said that the Government is also taking legal action against those responsible for destroying protected mangrove areas and implementing programmes to restore mangrove forests that have been degraded. “These programmes are being carried out with the participation of both the public and private sectors,” he said. He added that the Forest Conservation Department had already identified mangrove areas that had been degraded and that a National Strategic Action Plan for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Mangroves had also been introduced.

Puttalam’s mangrove reserves under threat 

A software incompatibility affecting a newly installed CT simulator at the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama has disrupted cancer treatment, with nearly 1,500 patients waiting for essential CT simulation before they can begin radiation treatment, the Government Radiological Technologists Association (GRTA) said.GRTA President Chanaka Dharmawickrama yesterday (8) said the new CT simulator, installed after the previous machine was removed in April and handed over to the Hospital on 7 September, could not be properly used for treatment planning due to a software incompatibility.He said the software of the new CT simulator is incompatible with the treatment planning system used for radiation treatment, preventing treatment planning based on CT simulation.CT simulation and treatment planning are essential before radiation treatment can begin, Dharmawickrama said.As a temporary measure, the Hospital has been using its positron emission tomography (PET) scanner to conduct CT simulation examinations. However, he said the PET scanner cannot be fitted with the additional equipment required for such procedures and does not have the capacity of a standard CT simulator.CT simulation also cannot be carried out for breast cancer patients using the PET scanner as it is not designed for such procedures, he said.As a result, around 1,500 patients are currently waiting to undergo CT simulation, while delays in starting radiation treatment could allow their cancer to progress further, Dharmawickrama said.He said some patients facing lengthy waiting periods had opted to obtain CT simulation from the private sector, spending between Rs. 500,000 and Rs. 2 million. The cost varies depending on the location and complexity of the procedure.The long waiting list and treatment delays at the Hospital have also increased waiting lists at private hospitals for patients seeking the procedure, he said.Dharmawickrama said a large number of cancer patients across the country are already waiting for radiation treatment, while the situation at the National Cancer Institute remains unresolved.Efforts to contact the Hospital administration proved futile. However, informed Hospital sources said the issue was still ongoing, with more than 1,300 patients currently on the waiting list.“We have been informed time and again that the issue would be rectified, but still, nothing has happened,” they said.

CT software glitch leaves 1,500 cancer patients waiting  

The Government is planning to establish a youth commission to oversee the implementation of the youth policy currently being drafted by the Youth Affairs Ministry, with youth unemployment and employment opportunities among its key areas of focus.Speaking to The Daily Morning, Deputy Youth Affairs Minister Dinindu Saman Hennayake said the policy is at its final stage, although discussions at the Provincial level are still ongoing.“Still, the policies regarding the North and the East are yet to be finalised, and we have scheduled the meetings for that during the course of next month (November). Next year (2027), in the first quarter (January-March), we expect to finalise the policy totally. Through this, we are going to address unemployment among youth,” he said.According to Hennayake, the policy will set out the agreement between the Government and youth, while also focusing on employment opportunities.“There is a direct goal to address unemployment. The creation of new opportunities, encouraging entrepreneurship, and the mediation of the Government are there. There was no youth policy for the country earlier. We have an idea to establish a youth commission to execute the policy. Through this, we will be able to observe youth-related concerns of each Ministry under one commission,” he said.However, he added that the structural model of the proposed commission is yet to be discussed.The proposal comes as Sri Lanka’s unemployment rate rose to 4% in the second quarter (April-June) of this year (2026), with young people continuing to face difficulties in finding employment, according to the Census and Statistics Department. The rate increased from 3.8% in the second quarter of last year (2025) and 3.7% in the first quarter of this year.Acknowledging that the unemployment rate is temporarily high, Hennayake said the Ministry aims to reduce it by the end of this year through the programmes currently being implemented.He said the Government has no plans to introduce a system to recruit large numbers of employees at once. Instead, recruitment to existing vacancies in the Government sector would be carried out according to a priority list.“Other than that, we are trying to expand the job market in the private sector by encouraging entrepreneurship,” he said.He said a mechanism is also being developed to bring together employment and other opportunities available to youth through different Ministries.“President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed a subcommittee collaborating with six Ministries, and within that, opportunities for youth will be identified. With that, the youth-related programmes that were executed individually will be navigated to one place,” he said.The Government is also planning to establish a youth app through which young people could directly consult Ministries regarding issues affecting them.

Youth commission planned to tackle joblessness 

<ul><li>Raise concern over sea cucumber farming&nbsp;</li></ul> Representatives of Northern Province fishermen’s associations, Annalingam Annarasa and Nagarasa Varnakulasinham, have raised concerns over the activities of foreign fishing vessels in Sri Lankan waters and the potential impact of sea cucumber farming projects linked to Chinese companies on Northern fishermen and marine ecosystems.Addressing the longstanding India-Sri Lanka fisheries dispute in Jaffna yesterday (8), they welcomed recent observations by the Indian Central Government in the Indian Supreme Court urging Indian fishermen not to cross the international maritime boundary into Sri Lankan waters.They said the observations highlighted the continuing dispute over fishing around Katchatheevu, the depletion and pollution of marine resources on the Indian side and the resulting pressure on Sri Lankan waters.They stressed the need for appropriate measures to protect the livelihoods of fishermen in both countries while ending illegal and destructive fishing practices.Annarasa has consistently opposed the use of illegal bottom trawling in the India-Sri Lanka fisheries dispute, citing its destructive impact on marine resources and local fishing communities.The representatives called for stronger measures to safeguard the rights of Northern fishermen, protect marine resources and ensure sustainable livelihoods for future generations.They also urged the Government to introduce a clear policy and take practical measures to address the challenges faced by the Northern fishing community and ensure the sustainable management of the country’s marine resources.

North’s fishers welcome India SC stand 

<ul><li>&nbsp;ITAK pushes for identification and accountability&nbsp;</li></ul> The Government’s handling of the Chemmani mass grave excavation has come under renewed scrutiny, with Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) Parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam questioning the delay in obtaining international expertise for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing.However, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said the excavation remains ongoing and the Government would consider DNA testing once the process is completed.Rasamanickam said families and communities affected by mass graves had little faith in domestic mechanisms and questioned the Government’s continued hesitation to seek international expertise, particularly for DNA identification.He argued that the authorities already acknowledge that they lack the expertise required to conduct sophisticated DNA testing of human remains in a manner that would satisfy the affected communities.“There is no point in excavating human skeletons now when more than 500 remains have been found and no action has been taken,” Rasamanickam said, stressing that the excavation process must ultimately lead to identification and accountability.Herath said the excavation at Chemmani is being conducted under judicial supervision and that the Government had already expressed interest in obtaining international assistance for DNA testing.“The excavation process is still ongoing. After it is completely done, we will take the report for DNA testing and engage in that process,” he said.He added that the Government was interested in obtaining scientific expertise from outside the country, including through international institutions, for DNA testing. However, he stressed that completing the excavation remains the immediate priority.Herath also defended the Government’s approach to investigations into missing persons and mass graves, saying such matters could be handled through domestic mechanisms while ensuring that human rights are fully respected. He cautioned against international intervention in domestic investigations, arguing that it could create further tensions and communal divisions.Meanwhile, addressing the release of privately owned land in the North and East in Parliament yesterday (8), Herath said the Government was gradually removing restrictions and releasing land through a systematic process.He said land in the Palaly area that had previously been subject to restrictions was now being opened up and claimed that there are no military checkpoints preventing movement in the North.However, he said the release of privately owned land had to be carried out carefully as ownership must first be verified. According to Herath, some landowners live overseas, while in other cases more than one person has claimed ownership of the same property.He said owners must therefore visit the relevant Kachcheri and establish their ownership before the land can be released.“The land will be gradually released in the North and the East to private parties,” Herath said.Where land could not be released, the Government would consider providing compensation using funds allocated for that purpose, he added.Rasamanickam, however, argued that although roads in the Palaly, Vasavilan and Thyiddy areas are open, the land has not been returned to the owners who previously lived there.

Chemmani mass grave: DNA testing delayed until excavation ends 

<ul><li>Prez to appoint stakeholder committee to reform law</li></ul> A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition was filed yesterday (8) in the Supreme Court (SC), seeking an order directing the prison authorities to ensure that the Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera — who is currently serving a prison sentence of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for contempt of court— appears in his monastic robes when being produced before courts for other cases. The petition was filed by retired Air Force officer, Shantha Jayathilaka.&nbsp;The Prisons Commissioner General (CG), the Justice Ministry Secretary, and the Attorney General (AG) have been named as respondents in the petition.A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and a group of Buddhist monks representing the Mahanayakas (Chief Prelates) of the three Buddhist Nikayas (Sects), was held yesterday (8). The meeting was held at 1 p.m. at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the issues outlined in the letter that the Chief Prelates had sent on Wednesday (7) to the Prisons CG regarding the decision to produce Gnanasara Thera before court in prison attire.In a letter addressed to the Prisons CG, the Chief Prelates expressed their displeasure over the decision to produce Gnanasara Thera before court in prison attire. The Chief Prelates stated that requiring the monk to appear before court in prison clothes was improper, emphasising that the authority to disrobe a Buddhist monk solely rests with the relevant Sangha Sabha.&nbsp;They further requested that Gnanasara Thera be permitted to appear before court wearing his monastic robes. President Dissanayake said that a committee would be appointed to present legal reforms, new laws, orders and regulations with regard to the procedure of how monks should be when within prisons and when being taken out of prison. The committee will comprise the AG, the Ministries of Justice, Public Administration, and Buddhist Affairs, and Prisons Department officers and the Prisons CG. The aspects impacting monks would be discussed with the Buddhist clergy and amended accordingly, he added. He emphasised that he is not prepared to issue orders with regard to individuals on a case by case basis.Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Bhikkhu Association in Europe has submitted a letter to the Prisons CG requesting legal provisions to allow incarcerated Buddhist monks to wear their monastic robes, their official ecclesiastical attire, instead of lay clothing when they are taken outside prison for any purpose. The special letter addressed to the Prisons CG bears the signatures of the Chief Secretary of the Sri Lankan Bhikkhu Association in Europe and the Chief Sanghanayaka of Cyprus, Ven. Morawaka Soratha Thera, and its President and Chief Adhikarana Sanghanayaka of Germany, Ven. Rathmale Punnaratana Thera.&nbsp;The Prisons Department has noted that per the law, anyone convicted for over three years or handed a sentence of RI, has to wear the prison uniform.&nbsp;

Gnanasara Thera’s robe controversy: SC FR case filed seeking order to re-robe 

The Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament today (08) with amendments and without a vote.&nbsp;&nbsp;Accordingly, the amendments seek to address legal, interpretational, administrative and technical issues identified in the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, discrepancies between the Sinhala and English texts of the Act, issues relating to the investigation and prosecution of corruption offences, administrative matters of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), and the process of submitting declarations of assets and liabilities through a centralized electronic system.&nbsp;These amendments are expected to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s existing legal and institutional framework for combating corruption and ensure that the Anti-Corruption Act is implemented effectively, transparently and with accountability, a statement said.&nbsp;

Substandard coal costs power sector Rs 15.8b

58% undergrads without hostel facilities

58% undergrads without hostel ...

Puttalam’s mangrove reserves under threat

Puttalam’s mangrove reserves u ...

CT software glitch leaves 1,500 cancer patients waiting

CT software glitch leaves 1,50 ...

Youth commission planned to tackle joblessness

Youth commission planned to ta ...

North’s fishers welcome India SC stand

North’s fishers welcome India ...

Chemmani mass grave: DNA testing delayed until excavation ends

Chemmani mass grave: DNA testi ...

Gnanasara Thera’s robe controversy: SC FR case filed seeking order to ...

Gnanasara Thera’s robe controv ...

Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill passed in Parliament

Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bi ...

58% undergrads without hostel facilities

58% undergrads without hostel ...

Puttalam’s mangrove reserves under threat

Puttalam’s mangrove reserves u ...

CT software glitch leaves 1,500 cancer patients waiting

CT software glitch leaves 1,50 ...

Youth commission planned to tackle joblessness

Youth commission planned to ta ...

North’s fishers welcome India SC stand

North’s fishers welcome India ...

Chemmani mass grave: DNA testing delayed until excavation ends

Chemmani mass grave: DNA testi ...

Gnanasara Thera’s robe controversy: SC FR case filed seeking order to ...

Gnanasara Thera’s robe controv ...

Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill passed in Parliament

Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bi ...

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