Hon. Hector Appuhamy

## Summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy criticised the President's address for lacking concrete details on Sri Lanka's response to the global crisis, arguing it should have specified fuel stocks, incoming supply arrangements, and engagement strategies with international bodies such as the UN, IAEA, and WTO, and called for all 225 Members to be included in forming a national strategy. He attributed public panic over queues to fear generated by the government's own rhetoric during the *aragalaya* period, placing responsibility on the government to restore public confidence. On the Easter Sunday attacks, speaking as a Catholic, he expressed dissatisfaction with the current accountability process, raising specific questions about the protection of Ibrahim Naina and his family's alleged financial role in the attacks, the return of assets, and the past and present roles of certain lawyers and a Minister connected to the case. He demanded the government identify and charge the mastermind before the upcoming April 21 anniversary, warning against using unrelated arrests to obscure accountability, and called for thorough investigation of both the Saleh and Ibrahim files, including any foreign connections.

Hon. Hector Appuhamy challenged the Minister over two energy-related issues: the management of the Trincomalee tank farm and environmental harm caused to residents near the Norochcholai power plant. He referenced a pre-election statement by the current President claiming his government would better manage fuel resources through the Trincomalee facility, implying the Government has failed to deliver on this promise. He also called on the Minister to detail specific measures to address environmental damage caused by the burning of substandard coal at Norochcholai and to report back to Parliament.

Hon. Appuhamy raised a supplementary question regarding Sri Lanka's energy security, highlighting that the government's own admission of substandard coal imports has reduced Norochcholai power plant output from 900 MW to 600 MW. He warned that with only approximately one month's fuel stocks remaining, reliance on costly diesel generators as an alternative is precarious given global supply uncertainties, and demanded that the Minister outline concrete steps to prevent a severe power generation crisis and its consequent impact on the public.

Hon. Hector Appuhamy directed Question No. 68/2025 to the Minister of Energy, seeking information about a generator procured for the Norochcholai Thermal Power Plant to support the cooling system for its power generators. The question requests the date of acquisition and the cost of the generator, while also raising concerns that the generator has reportedly not been utilized since its procurement. The Member further demands an explanation of what remedial or corrective measures the Minister intends to take regarding this situation.

## Summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy, representing the Puttalam District where the Norochcholai coal power plant is located, raised serious concerns about the quality of coal procured for the plant and alleged corrupt conduct surrounding the tender process. He highlighted contradictory test reports from the Indonesian loading port and Cotecna India regarding coal quality specifications — particularly calorific value (GCV 5,900–6,150 kcal/kg) and ash content (not exceeding 16%) — and demanded an immediate investigation into which laboratory report was falsified. He further questioned whether the Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS), which is linked to the North Western Provincial Environmental Authority and the Central Environmental Authority, had been operationally suspended between November and February, suggesting this may have been deliberate. He noted that the first coal shipment was rejected for being off-specification and argued that under environmental law, the Environmental Protection Licence (EPL) should consequently have been cancelled. Appuhamy warned that continued use of substandard coal would either damage the plant's boilers — necessitating costly diesel generation as a fallback — or, if the plant were operated at reduced capacity to prevent damage, result in significantly higher electricity tariffs and potential blackouts around the Sinhala New Year in April. He also alleged that a figure identified as "Ruwan," linked to Kenya, was involved in the procurement arrangement at a level above the Minister, and raised concerns about environmental harm to local communities from increased coal dust during the dry season.

Hon. Hector Appuhamy formally presented two petitions to Parliament on behalf of two individuals: Ms. G.A.S.M. Jayawira of Welpalla, Rawita, and Ms. P.M.H. Kaushalya of Sandalankawa. No further details regarding the subject matter of the petitions were stated in the speech.

Hon. Hector Appuhamy presented three reports from the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Resources, covering annual and performance reports of multiple government bodies including the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, Department of Agrarian Development, and Janatha Estates Development Board, spanning various years from 2015 to 2024. The reports were ordered to lie upon the Table. The speaker additionally raised a procedural concern regarding unresolved issues identified in older audit reports reviewed by the Committee, and requested that the Chair permit Sectoral Oversight Committees to engage directly with the Auditor General's Department on such matters. The intent of this proposal is to enable Committees to take a more active corrective role in guiding institutions toward compliance, rather than simply tabling reports without follow-up action.

## Summary The Hon. Hector Appuhamy concluded his remarks with a colloquial proverb advising prompt action rather than delay. He warned that opponents or rivals would resort to fear-mongering tactics, specifically suggesting that constituents in Malimawa Ward 159 would be falsely portrayed as a threat, and urged his audience to be prepared for such intimidation strategies.

The speech fragment provided contains insufficient substantive content to summarize, consisting only of a procedural query by Hon. Hector Appuhamy regarding his remaining speaking time.

Hon. Hector Appuhamy raised several criticisms of the Government across multiple policy areas. He condemned what he characterised as the Government's failure to respond adequately to Indian Navy assaults on Sri Lankan fishermen in domestic waters, demanding a more assertive diplomatic stance toward India. On the Easter Sunday attacks, he questioned the Government's contradictory statements regarding the whereabouts of a suspect referred to as "Sara," urging that legal proceedings not be concluded before the alleged mastermind is brought to justice. He also warned against misuse of emergency powers to intimidate social media users and parliamentarians. Additionally, he addressed a circulating audio recording allegedly involving a Member of Parliament from Puttalam, cautioning media against using covertly obtained material to damage individuals, and called on the President to investigate the matter and uphold the integrity of his administration.