News
FSP cries foul over allowing India to have stranglehold over SL power sector
… condemns haste in tying up deals on eve of important national poll
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The government continues to enter into secretive agreements with India, compromising the nation’s economic and political sovereignty, says Pubudu Jayagoda, Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP).
Jayagoda told The Island yesterday that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on Tuesday (20) between LTL Holdings Ltd., Sri Lanka, and Petronet LNG Ltd., India, for developing infrastructure related to the storage, regasification, and supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to the ‘Sobadhanavi’ Combined Cycle Power Plant at Kerawalapitiya was detrimental to the country’s energy security.
“People’s attention is now on elections and the government is busy signing vital international agreements, despite the widespread belief that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will not win the election on 21 September. The agreement signed on Tuesday will have devastating consequences for the country’s energy security,” Jayagoda stated.
Jayagoda claimed that the agreement between LTL Holdings and Petronet had stemmed from an unsolicited proposal, with the details not disclosed to the public. Wickremesinghe in his 2023 visit to India had agreed to integrate the energy sectors of the two countries and the agreement at issue was a part of that understanding, he said.
“India has been allowed to control the LNG supply to Sri Lanka without competitive bidding. Now, India has a monopoly. The procurement procedure has been bypassed. It is highly likely that the government has agreed to purchase LNG at prices higher than the market rate, placing an additional burden on the people of this country. It is evident that this agreement was signed under Indian pressure,” the FSP Education Secretary told The Island.
Jayagoda also noted that Sri Lanka was planning to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity from LNG in the short term, at the Yugadhanavi and Sobadhanavi power plants, as well as some sections of the Kelanitissa power plant, set to operate on LNG.
“India will be the sole supplier for these plants. You can imagine the control this gives India—it’s akin to having the main switch, trip switch, and fuse board of your house installed in the neighbour’s house,” he said.
A number of countries in the region had entered into similar agreements with India and those nations had learnt that when India gained access to those vital sectors, its control over them was used to push for political and economic agendas favourable to India.FSP Education Secretary said that if a future Sri Lankan government antagonised India in any manner, the Indian company could deliberately delay LNG supplies, crippling the Sri Lankan economy.
A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.
Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.
It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.
Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.
Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions
• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981
News
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Animal Welfare Draft Bill to be Gazetted
Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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