Hon. D.V. Chanaka

Hon. Chanaka Madugoda delivered a brief statement urging the Government to focus on addressing the genuine concerns of the public rather than deflecting blame onto the Opposition. The remark implies criticism of the Government's conduct, contrasting its stated mandate of good governance with its perceived failure to tackle substantive issues affecting citizens.

## Summary Hon. Chanaka Madugoda (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) raised several concerns during debate on a regulation under the Foreign Exchange Act. He reported that rural traders continue to face LPG supply shortages despite ministerial assurances, with suppliers reportedly unreachable, and urged the Government to address these ground-level realities. On behalf of the SLPP, he expressed strong opposition to the attack on Iran, citing Sri Lanka's longstanding ties with Iran—including Iranian support at the UN Human Rights Council and the Uma Oya development project—and noted the impact on approximately one million Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Middle East. Madugoda demanded a Government response to allegations of fraud in a dry rations procurement tender for the tri-forces, raised three days prior with no reply, and directly challenged Deputy Minister Aruna Jayasekara to return to the Chamber and answer whether the President, in his capacity as Defence Minister, and the Cabinet were involved. He also called for a review of the redeployment of Parliamentary Police officers and urged the Government not to allow the Southern Province Governor to override the results of recently held co-operative hospital society elections in Galle District, in which the ruling JVP/NPP slate was defeated, warning against the appointment of political allies in place of duly elected members.

Hon. Chanaka Madugoda, acting on behalf of the Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Labour and Human Resources Development, tabled the Committee's reports on the Annual Reports and Accounts for 2022 and 2023 of three universities: Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine, and Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. These documents had been previously referred to the Committee for review. The reports were ordered to lie upon the Table of Parliament.

Hon. D. V. Chanaka raised a point of order under Standing Order 86(a), disputing the Chief Government Whip's account of tender timelines, asserting that 42 days were allocated for both the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 tenders and offering to table the relevant documents as evidence. He further clarified a provision within the Agreement stipulating that a laboratory can be disqualified if the discrepancy between Load Port and Discharge Port results exceeds the permitted tolerance level.

## Summary Hon. D. V. Chanaka (SLPP) intervened to correct a factual claim made by Hon. Najith, clarifying that a previously referenced contract or award was not granted to an associate of Yoshitha Rajapaksa, but rather to a relative — specifically a cousin — of Mr. Bryan Balthazar. The speech consists solely of this factual correction regarding the identity of the company owner involved in the award.

## Summary Hon. D. V. Chanaka alleged serious corruption and procurement irregularities in a coal tender, tabling two letters including a resignation letter in which he claims corruption allegations were withdrawn after presidential intervention. He challenged the Minister's claim that the tender delay was caused by coal ships arriving as late as 7 December, asserting that shipping records (laycan documents, also tabled) show the last ship arrived on 13 November. Chanaka further alleged that the Minister violated procurement law by travelling to Russia on 15 October 2025 and meeting a bidder while the tender was in progress, subsequently attempting to increase the number of contracted ships from 10 to 16, before cancelling the additional ships when negotiations failed. He stated this resulted in no coal ships arriving for approximately seven weeks (7 November to 30 December), causing losses of Rs. 25 billion, and argued the tender should have been called in April but was delayed until September when it was converted into an emergency tender — a decision he attributed to ministerial postponement. He also contended that the current tender agreement contained cancellation clauses triggered when ships fail to arrive on schedule, noting that contracted delivery targets for December, January, and February had all been missed, and claimed total losses from the tender amounted to Rs. 100 billion.

Hon. D.V. Chanaka challenges the government's credibility on corruption, noting that Sri Lanka's Corruption Perceptions Index ranking has fallen from 82 under the Rajapaksa government to 107 under the current administration. He focuses specifically on allegations of corruption surrounding a coal tender, stating he raised concerns as early as July and August of the preceding year. As key evidence, he cites the resignation letter of the Chairman of Lanka Coal Company, submitted on 17 August — the day before the tender was awarded — in which the Chairman stated he was prevented from combating corruption, that a figure named Udayanga Hemapala effectively controlled operations, and that the Board would not be responsible for any resulting corruption. Chanaka also challenges the Minister of Power to engage in a public debate outside Parliament rather than relying on parliamentary privilege, and alleges that the President privately pressured the resigned Chairman to sign the tender.

## Summary Hon. Chanaka Madugoda expressed support for the Judicial Organization (Amendment) Bill and the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill, while arguing that the drug crisis must be addressed collectively rather than politicised, citing unresolved questions about two narcotics containers allegedly cleared without explanation and accusations extending across party lines. He raised three specific accountability concerns: the 2026 Tri-Forces dry rations tender, which he alleges caused a Rs. 180 million loss by not awarding to the lowest bidder and has received no ministerial response; the failure to regularise casual workers at Lanka Mineral Sands despite a ministerial assurance made in March of the prior year; and inconsistencies in Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka's public statements regarding the "white flag" incident. He also criticised what he characterised as a broader Government tendency to undermine religious institutions, citing a television incident in which a senior Buddhist monk was addressed disrespectfully by a Government MP.

Hon. Chanaka Madugoda seconded a motion, following which the question was put and agreed to. The Bill was read for the First time, ordered to be printed, and referred to the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education for report, pursuant to Standing Order No. 52(6).

Hon. Chanaka Madugoda presented a petition to Parliament on behalf of Mr. Ranasinghe Siripala, a resident of No. 8/A, Gonagaha, Ja-Ela. No further details regarding the subject matter or grievance of the petition were stated in the speech.