- Govt. concealed vital energy agreements from public: Gammanpila
- Energy Ministry confirms authenticity
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader, Attorney-at-Law Udaya Gammanpila has publicly revealed two previously undisclosed agreements signed between Sri Lanka and India last month, accusing the Government of deliberately concealing critical details from the public.
Addressing a press briefing yesterday (26), Gammanpila claimed that while the current administration, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, had vehemently criticised former President Ranil Wickremesinghe for delaying the release of bilateral agreements with India in 2023, it had itself signed seven agreements with India without making them public.
Gammanpila alleged that three weeks had passed since these agreements had been finalised during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka, yet it had been only through his intervention that two of them had now come to light.
Among the agreements revealed yesterday are a tripartite agreement between Sri Lanka, India, and the United Arab Emirates to develop Trincomalee as a regional energy hub, and another for laying an electricity transmission line from Madurai, India to Mannar, Sri Lanka.
The agreements involve plans to link the two countries through oil pipelines and power cables, enabling the exchange of energy resources.
“This is the biggest betrayal in recent history,” Gammanpila alleged.
“Every past agreement between our countries was signed in English, but this tripartite agreement was signed in English, Hindi, and Arabic. Our own officials have signed documents they cannot read, which is both irresponsible and dangerous.”
He raised concerns over potential hidden clauses in the agreements drafted in languages unfamiliar to Sri Lankan officials and warned of the strategic risks of depending on a neighbouring country for essential resources like oil and electricity.
Drawing parallels with regional tensions, he cited how India’s control over upstream river waters had led to disputes with Pakistan, questioning what similar leverage could mean for Sri Lanka’s energy security.
In addition to unveiling the agreements, Gammanpila criticised the Government’s refusal to release the full set of agreements to Parliament and the public despite multiple requests under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
“The public has a right to know what their leaders are signing on their behalf. What are they hiding?” he asked.
Gammanpila further claimed that the two agreements have been published online at www.udayagammanpila.com, while the remaining five were yet to be released. He urged President Dissanayake to immediately disclose them to maintain transparency and public trust.
When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Energy Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala acknowledged that the two MOUs shared by Gammanpila were accurate copies of the agreements signed by Sri Lanka.