Hon. S.M. Marikkar

Hon. S.M. Marikkar raised a point of order to table documentary evidence — copies of vehicle permits — allegedly issued to three named Members: Hon. D.M. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Hon. Bimal Niroshan Ratnayake, and Hon. Sunil Handunnetti. He asserted that these permits were sold by the Members concerned to raise funds for their party, and challenged their credibility on matters of political integrity.

Hon. S. M. Marikkar addressed the Deputy Speaker regarding evidence he had already presented, asserting that 99 percent of the evidence had been provided and urging the relevant authorities — including the Police — to investigate what had already been submitted. He indicated that he would subsequently furnish specific details, including an account name, number, and deposit records at People's Bank. The speech appears to be part of a broader motion, with Hon. Ajith P. Perera called to second the motion moved by Marikkar.

## Summary Hon. Marikkar argued that the use of substandard coal will reduce power generation capacity, forcing the Ceylon Electricity Board to purchase electricity from diesel suppliers at approximately Rs. 64 per unit instead of generating it at Rs. 24 per unit — a difference he characterised as theft being passed on to consumers. He strongly opposed the proposed 13.5% electricity tariff increase, directing the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) not to approve the hike on the grounds that the public should not bear the cost of alleged corrupt practices. Marikkar referenced pre-election government promises to reduce electricity bills and warned that a further increase would prompt public protests. He appealed directly to government Members of Parliament to reject the tariff proposal, cautioning that failure to act could politically damage the ruling party and cause hardship to the broader population.

## Summary Hon. S. M. Marikkar moved an adjournment motion alleging corrupt procurement practices in the purchase of 12.32 million metric tons of coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant at Norochcholai for the 2025–2026 coal year. He contended that the procurement was conducted in violation of Auditor General recommendations, COPE directives, and Government Procurement Guidelines, resulting in the selection of a substandard supplier and causing significant financial losses to the Ceylon Electricity Board, as well as physical damage to plant equipment including turbine blades, air pre-heaters, boiler tubes, and the FGD system. Marikkar further alleged that the Minister of Energy misled both the National Procurement Commission and the Cabinet of Ministers to secure approval for the procurement, and cited procedural irregularities including a shortened bid period and reduced supplier qualification requirements that he argued deliberately excluded reputable firms. The motion called on the House to resolve that immediate steps be taken to protect energy security, recover losses from those responsible, and establish accountability at all levels for the alleged corrupt process.

## Summary Hon. Marikkar raised serious allegations of fraud in the Lanka Coal Company's tender process, arguing that qualification criteria were deliberately lowered — reducing past performance requirements from 0.5 million to 0.1 million metric tons and revenue thresholds accordingly — to favour specific parties, and that the Chairman improperly influenced the Tender Board before recusing himself prior to the award decision. He alleged that multiple coal shipments failed to meet quality standards and generate the expected 300 MW output, that quality reports have disappeared, and that a USD 2.1 million penalty was computed without final quality assessments or accounting for equipment damage and replacement power procurement costs. Marikkar also challenged the Government's interpretation of the bid document's termination clause, arguing it requires any two failed shipments rather than two consecutive ones, and accused the responsible Minister of engineering a coal shortage to force power cuts. He called on the Minister of Justice to raise the matter in Cabinet and halt what he characterised as multi-million-dollar corruption, warning that similar irregularities would soon emerge in LPG procurement.

The speech fragment provided contains only a brief courtesy acknowledgment ("Thank you very much, Hon. Minister") and does not include substantive content to summarize. No arguments, proposals, questions, or policy references are present in the text.

## Summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar submitted a written parliamentary question to the Minister of Health and Mass Media seeking detailed information on the Sri Lanka National STD/AIDS Control Programme. The question has three main areas of inquiry: the operational status of the programme, including the number of clinics, patient numbers, and whether a permanent director has been appointed; the procurement and current stock levels of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug used to prevent HIV/AIDS, including its source; and the current stock levels of three specific antiretroviral drugs — Tenofovir, Lamivudine, and Dolutegravir — along with questions about a possible shortage of these medicines, accountability for any such shortage, and remedial steps being taken.

Hon. S.M. Marikkar raised a Point of Order calling on the Speaker to intervene in a matter concerning a recommendation made by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). He highlighted that the IGP had indicated a government policy decision was preventing the provision of certain unspecified information or action, and argued that this constituted a political decision. Marikkar contended that ultimate responsibility in this matter rested with the Speaker, and urged the Speaker to intervene accordingly.

Hon. S.M. Marikkar presented two reports from the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development to the House on 5 February 2026. The reports relate to three pieces of legislation: the Institute of Real Estate Professionals, Sri Lanka Bill, and two bills concerning the licensing of container depot operators and amendments to the licensing framework for shipping agents, freight forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers, and container operators. The reports were ordered to lie upon the Table.

Hon. S.M. Marikkar rejected calls to address alleged misconduct under the 2014–2015 Rajapaksa administration, arguing that the current government holds sufficient power to investigate such matters independently. He focused his argument on what he characterised as corruption in a shipping agreement, citing the late arrival of eleven ships beyond contracted delivery dates. Marikkar noted that the Attorney General had advised that grounds existed to terminate the agreement and impose penalties, but contended that the government instead chose to reschedule deliveries and grant extensions, which he presented as evidence of corrupt conduct. He challenged the government to demonstrate that this decision was not corruption.