• Government Spokesperson says penalties to be imposed on supplier
• FSP claims Government was deaf to prior warnings

Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that it was confirmed that coal samples sent to India in connection with the shipment that has sparked public debate did not meet the required calorific value.

Speaking to the media in Kalutara, he said that action would be taken to impose penalties on the relevant supplier in line with the agreement.

He said there had been no issue in the procurement process, adding the shortfall was identified after the first 60,000 metric tonnes of coal were imported and tested in India by the supplier.

“If the samples tested after the coal is unloaded in Sri Lanka fail to meet the required standards, the relevant party will be required to pay penalties without exception,” the Minister said.

Meanwhile, the Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda claimed that despite repeated warnings since September 2025, the Government had failed to act on concerns surrounding coal imported under a long-term contract awarded to a South African supplier.

He alleged that initial laboratory tests conducted at a facility attached to the Norochcholai power plant showed low energy-generating capacity and high ash content in coal from the first shipment, claims that were initially rejected by the Government and the Minister of Energy.

According to him, a second round of testing carried out at a laboratory in India had also confirmed the findings of the Sri Lankan tests. He further alleged that following this confirmation, the Government took an arbitrary decision to suspend the release of local laboratory reports. “Even if laboratory reports are withheld, the quality of coal can be seen in electricity generation figures and coal consumption,” he charged, citing a Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) report dated 21 January.

Speaking further, Jayagoda claimed that whereas the Lakvijaya Power Plant previously generated around 810 megawatts using three generators, electricity generation from the coal supplied in the third shipment had dropped to approximately 715 megawatts. He further alleged that individual generators were operating below their standard capacity, a matter previously pointed out by Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawa, a power sector expert. 

Based on these figures, he alleged that the coal in the third shipment also failed to meet contractual standards. Under the tender agreement, he claimed, the contract should be cancelled if coal from two shipments fails to meet required specifications.

He also accused the Government of acknowledging the issue only belatedly through media statements, proposing emergency spot purchases and port-of-loading inspections as corrective measures. He claimed these steps should have been taken much earlier, noting that less than three months remain to secure coal supplies for the next operational season.

He further questioned the transparency of the tender process, alleging delays in calling for bids, changes to specifications to suit a particular supplier, and the shortening of the tender period. He also alleged that the supplier had previously been linked to irregularities in other State procurement processes. 

Jayagoda called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to intervene and order an impartial investigation, urging that losses arising from the alleged misconduct should not be passed on to the public through electricity tariffs.