SL receives first of 38 coal shipments

• Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera reviews progress on coal procurement, fund requirement
• Omalpe Sobhitha Thero withdraws FR petition on decision to award coal tender to Dubai firm

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera yesterday announced that the first of 38 coal cargos required for this season arrived on Tuesday, whilst noting that the second shipment is expected to arrive on 31 October.

“Progress on coal procurement and fund requirements was reviewed with the Lanka Coal Company and the Ceylon

On Tuesday evening, a vessel carrying 60,000 tonnes of coal reached Sri Lanka and this shipment was imported from the previously contracted company with five more shipments of coal are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka soon, the Power and Energy Ministry said.

Separately, the fundamental rights petition filed by Ven. 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Thero challenging the decision to award the coal tender for Lakvijaya Power Plant to a Dubai-based company has been withdrawn.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 have informed the court that proceeding with the FR petition is not needed, as the 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 firm – Black Sand Commodities to procure 4.5 million tons of coal for Lakvijaya Power Plant is unlawful, had sought a court order revoking the said tender.