<ul><li>Deadline extended twice from 2 April to 2 May; now to 24 June&nbsp;</li><li>Performance bond specifications set for revision in current tender</li><li>Cabinet decision on specification revision tomorrow</li></ul> With only three months remaining before the next coal unloading season begins, the closing date for the long-term tender to procure 50% of the coal requirements for the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant has been extended for the second time to 24 June, The Sunday Morning learns.&nbsp;The tender, covering the periods 2024/’25 and 2025/’26, aims to secure a total volume of 2.25 million MT of coal.It is reliably learned that the Standing Cabinet-Appointed Procurement Committee (SCAPC) has extended the tender deadline to allow for changes to one of the technical specifications in the previously-issued tender.Accordingly, the tender, which was initially scheduled to close on 2 April, was first extended to 2 May. It has now been extended again, with the new closing date set for 24 June.Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Lanka Coal Company Ltd. (LCC) Chairman Shehan Sumanasekara said the specifications stated on the performance bond would be changed in the current tender.“Currently, the performance bond is set at 10%. This presents a problem as we have requested cargo in two parts: one part on a long-term basis and the other as spot cargoes. Out of the total 2.25 million MT, only 1.1 million MT will be delivered in the coming season starting this September and next April. The remainder of the long-term tender is scheduled for delivery in the season starting next September, creating a long gap,” he stressed, adding that as a result of the long gap, the key suppliers had raised concerns about this arrangement.“The suppliers will have to block 10% of the contract amount as a performance bond. When they block such a huge amount, they incur interest charges, which they will pass on to us in the tender pricing. Consequently, our pricing could be higher than necessary, whereas a lower performance bond might allow suppliers to offer more competitive prices,” Sumanasekara explained.Elaborating further, the LCC Chairman noted that even after the first half of the cargo was supplied, the 10% performance bond remained in place for the entire two-year period, as per the specifications given in the current tender.&nbsp;“But through the expected changes to the technical specifications, we are planning to release half of the performance bond once the supplier completes the first portion of the cargo, fulfilling half of their obligation,” he said.“This adjustment is a fair request from the suppliers,” he explained. “By doing this, we provide them with the flexibility to offer better pricing. Moreover, this approach encourages more participants to join the tender process, potentially increasing competition. Allowing suppliers to have part of their bond released midway through their contract obligations can lead to more favourable pricing and a higher number of bidders,” he stressed.However implementing this change requires a technical modification to the tender, which has not been made yet because it requires a Cabinet decision. Therefore, he explained that the date had been extended. “Typically, after a decision is made, bidders are given a two-week period to prepare for the change,” he added.As The Sunday Morning learns, the Cabinet is scheduled to discuss this matter tomorrow (3). However, the LCC Chairman was hopeful that they would be able to complete the tender process and award the tender by early August.&nbsp;“When the tender closes on 24 June, the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will take approximately three days to finalise its evaluation. After that, the tender must go to the SCAPC and this process will take about a week. We also need to provide all suppliers a 14-day period for appeals. Once the appeal period is over, and assuming no appeals are received, the process moves to the Cabinet, which takes another week.&nbsp;“Following the Cabinet decision, it will take about 10-15 days for the Treasury to complete its observations. Generally, when we receive a verbal confirmation from the Cabinet, we are confident that the decision is finalised. Although we won’t be able to sign the agreement immediately, we can issue a letter of award. By early August, we should be able to provide a detailed plan,” he explained.Nevertheless, the LCC confirmed that it had already secured nine cargoes for the next season. “We have nine cargoes from the previous term, which will be sufficient for two months, covering September and October. We will start new cargoes from November; we have enough time,” he said.&nbsp;Elaborating further on the previous season, the LCC Chairman said there were two more shipments yet to be unloaded as they were caught in bad weather. “We have sufficient coal stocks for Norochcholai,” he reiterated.The LCC is adopting a slightly different approach for the long-term tender this time by floating a single tender to procure only 50% of the total requirement for two coal unloading seasons. This will include 50% of the requirement from a long-term contract tender and the rest from spot tendering. However, the LCC confirmed that even with the changes made to the procurement nature, coal would be procured at a fixed rate for two terms based on index prices.Earlier, the LCC expected 19 registered suppliers, including companies representing Russia, Indonesia, Australia, and the UAE, to submit their bids for the long-term contract tender. The procurement will be based on an upfront payment mechanism.Coal tenders have been marred by controversy in the recent past, leading to last-minute cancellations. Some of the suppliers selected by the LCC did not proceed as expected, contributing to the challenges faced in the procurement process. Lakvijaya provides nearly 900 MW of energy to the national grid, accounting for about 40% of the country’s total energy requirement.

Norochcholai Power Plant: Coal tender deadline extended again

Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) is short of Rs. 1,000 million for its maintenance of railway tracks this year, according to Railway Chief Engineer E.M.S.T.K. Priyantha Deegala.Speaking to The Sunday Morning, he said that there was a shortage of funds for the maintenance of railway tracks, with Rs. 2,500-3,000 million required for the purpose, although only Rs. 1,500 million had been currently allocated for the purpose.&nbsp;“Accordingly, there is a requirement for about Rs. 1,000 million this year and this work has been stopped due to lack of funds,” he added.Further, he noted that the upcountry line required a complete rehabilitation, which would require a massive amount of funds, adding that around Rs. 300 million was needed to maintain 1 km of railway tracks.According to Deputy General Manager of Railways N.J. Indipolage, many aspects of the railway system require maintenance, especially the coastal railway tracks, the Puttalam line, and the main line.&nbsp;However,&nbsp; Ministry of Transport and Highways Secretary Eng. Ranjith Rubasinghe admitted the requirement of funds in addition to the regular annual allocations to ensure continued operations, with ongoing disruptions being attributed to failures in regular maintenance.&nbsp;He told The Sunday Morning that while it could not be said that the railway system was in a critical condition, the lack of regular maintenance was having an impact.“The railway system has to be regularly updated and maintained. Since we haven’t done those things for quite some time due to the economic conditions, there is a need for funds, perhaps more than the regular annual allocation.”However, he noted that the critical requirements had been allocated by the Government in this year’s Budget and that these funds were being utilised as planned.&nbsp;&nbsp;He noted that they were doing a study and planning for the years 2025, 2026, and 2027, with several projects in the pipeline, which they were reviewing and considering activating once the economy stabilised.&nbsp;“All these things will happen based on funding availability and the Government strategy for the next couple of years,” he said.Given this backdrop, he outlined the ongoing activities to maintain the railways: “Currently, there are some ongoing activities with the support of the Indian credit line; we are upgrading the Maho-Omanthai line so that the entire northern line will be upgraded with its completion. Apart from this, there is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) fund allocated for Colombo suburbs and certain other areas along with the digitisation initiative.”&nbsp;Recently, Minister of Highways, Transport, and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardana said that SLR was in a critical state due to the lack of investment, noting that it needed investment to improve.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Railway Trade Unions Alliance Co-Convener S.P. Withanage said that the Government had reduced the Railways Department to an inoperable state: “At present, it has come to a point where trains cannot run. The engines and carriages are not being maintained, since the necessary equipment and spare parts are lacking. These are not being provided nor are funds being provided to obtain these. The Minister, who should intervene to provide these, is not doing so.”He explained that the lack of proper maintenance had led to disruptions in service. “Many trains are cancelled each day and there are excessive delays. Commuters are being subjected to great difficulties and there is no intervention by the Government to ensure the continuation of the railways.”He shared that the department lacked the spare parts needed for maintenance of carriages and engines, oil for engines, etc., stressing that the expensive engines were likely to become damaged due to lack of maintenance.Further, he charged that the engines imported in the recent past by the Government were not functional, with brand new engines unable to be used, in addition to 160 imported carriages which were lying unused due to various defects.&nbsp;Withanage further stressed that the railways management was in a poor state, with political appointees occupying top posts in the department, and also critiqued the current financial management. “To a large extent, financial transactions are fraudulent and corrupt,” he charged.He also warned that the Railways Department would become unable to provide an appropriate level of service to commuters in future if these conditions persisted.&nbsp;“If railway tracks, carriages, and engines are not maintained properly, there is a chance of increased derailments in future. Moreover, due to the failure to maintain the signalling system, there is a likelihood of signals breaking down.”

SLR short of Rs. 1 b for maintenance

<ul><li>Lakdhanavi-CEB PPA to be revisited</li><li>Proposal from India’s Petronet</li></ul>The Power and Energy Ministry is considering entrusting Lakdhanavi Ltd., a subsidiary of LTL Holdings, with the task of procuring Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and constructing essential infrastructure.However, prior to finalising this decision, the ministry plans to review the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) between Lakdhanavi and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).The move comes in the backdrop of the Ministry of Power and Energy receiving a proposal from Petronet LNG Ltd., an Indian oil and gas enterprise specialising in LNG importation and terminal establishment within India.Ministry Secretary Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena confirmed the receipt of this proposal.However, he pointed out that the existing LNG power plants – one owned by West Coast Power and the other two by Lakdhanavi – had previously been supplied by the CEB as per the PPA.Dr. Jayawardena further elaborated that despite the proposal from Petronet, the restructuring of the CEB would result in a shift of responsibilities.“After the restructuring, there won’t be an institution called the CEB. It will have a different kind of responsibility, rather than providing fuel for power plants. It is supposed to manage the system, procure electricity, maintain systems, make reliability improvements, and so on with the National System Operator (NSO). On the other hand, the Government doesn’t have funds for infrastructure development. Petronet is a Government-to-Government proposal,” he stressed.Dr. Jayawardena further explained: “Fuel procurement will be based on index prices. Even in previous processes, LNG procurement wasn’t planned; the focus was on infrastructure. The LNG market differs from coal or crude oil markets. The plan is to entrust Lakdhanavi with LNG procurement and infrastructure development. It will be responsible for building and fuelling power plants. We need to review PPAs to assess the feasibility of this proposal.”Nevertheless, The Sunday Morning learns that the delay in awarding the construction of the Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) and the LNG pipeline could result in considerable financial losses for the CEB. This delay may force the CEB to continue using expensive diesel to power its plants beyond 2025. Such delays highlight the difficulties smaller states encounter in securing energy, especially amidst geopolitical tensions and global power dynamics.The Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) 2023-2042 outlines the conversion of existing power plants such as Yugadanavi and Kelanitissa to natural gas by 2025, aligning with Sri Lanka’s renewable energy target of 70% by 2030. Initially, these plants will operate on diesel until infrastructure for natural gas delivery is established, with the transition to LNG expected thereafter.CEB sources indicate that the commencement of the Kerawalapitiya LNG Power Plant was projected to save nearly Rs. 50 billion annually, attributed to the drop in LNG prices in the international market.Last year, the Cabinet suspended the long-delayed procurement process for LNG infrastructure, including the FSRU and LNG pipeline initiated by the CEB.This decision was based on the LTGEP of 2018-2037, approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) in 2018, which recognised the necessity of transitioning from furnace oil and diesel-based power plants to LNG to streamline infrastructure.

Lakdhanavi to be tasked with LNG procurement

<ul><li>Health Ministry uninformed</li><li>MSD silent, not responding to media queries</li><li>‘Swastha’ reveals ‘zero’ stocks</li></ul>Hospitals across Sri Lanka are struggling with a shortage of peracetic acid (PAA), which is used to disinfect metal surgical and other medical equipment, The Sunday Morning learns.All Ceylon Nurses’ Union (ACNU) President S.B. Mediwatta stated that this chemical disinfectant was not available in any Government hospitals.“It is a common item in all hospitals. A large quantity of PAA is needed to disinfect scissors, endoscopes, proctoscopes, and other equipment,” Mediwatta said.He emphasised the importance of this disinfectant, highlighting that many main units of a hospital required PAA in order to continue providing services in a sanitary and uninterrupted manner.According to him, the absence of the required quantity of disinfectant has hindered operations conducted by Government hospitals.“Medical equipment used in various medical units and laboratories is soaked in it for about 10-15 minutes to eradicate germs and ensure proper sanitation,” he continued.Mediwatta added that although alternative chemicals were being used in place of PAA, due to the ongoing shortage of these chemicals, PAA was essential.PAA is an organic chemical compound used in numerous applications and mainly as a chemical disinfectant in healthcare.According to ‘Swastha,’ an information management system covering all hospitals and health institutions in Sri Lanka, PAA stocks are currently at zero.When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Health Additional Secretary (Procurement) Y.L.M. Nawavi stated that they had not received any information in this regard.Attempts made to contact Medical Supplies Division (MSD) Deputy Director General (Medical Services) Dr. G. Wijesuriya were futile.

Peracetic acid shortage imperils hospital ops

<ul><li>CPSTL: CPC two-thirds, LIOC one-third</li><li>Shared among CPC, LIOC, Sinopec, RM Parks/Shell, United Petroleum</li></ul> With the introduction of three new players into Sri Lanka’s petroleum industry, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman Saliya Wickramasuriya yesterday (1) said that Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd. (CPSTL) agreements allowed product sharing to ensure supply continuity to consumers.He added that any licensee borrowing products from another would be required to settle the transaction in foreign currency, rather than Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR).United Petroleum of Australia will begin distributing fuel locally next month, with 150 filling stations allocated to it by the Ministry of Power and Energy. Shell/RM Parks has also entered the market, planning to serve the entire island through 92 filling stations. Sinopec commenced operations last year.Elaborating on the CPSTL’s preparedness to cater to the requirement, Wickramasuriya told The Sunday Morning that the CPSTL had commenced a programme of ramping up and modernising its infrastructure to meet the growing demand.He said that the new programme included a completely revamped corporate strategic plan, introducing competitive remuneration and a performance-based promotion and bonus structure, and a completely automated and interconnected islandwide petroleum inventory and supply management system.The CPSTL is a limited liability company, owned by the CPC (two-thirds) and Lanka IOC (LIOC) (one-third), delivering storage and distribution services for all licensed retailers who have signed service agreements with it.These include the CPC, LIOC, Sinopec, RM Parks/Shell, and United Petroleum.In addition, two companies are licensed to import, store, distribute, and sell JetA1, issued with a view to lowering aviation fuel prices through competition.“Of all these licensees, only LIOC has storage facilities (in the Lower Tank Farm, Trincomalee, and in partnership with CPC via Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd.), although some customers have their own bowsers. All other existing terminals, regional storage depots, and pipelines are owned by either the CPC or CPSTL, although the Government is encouraging private investment&nbsp; in selected locations islandwide,” Wickramasuriya said.He went on to explain that the CPSTL business model would provide services for a fee, called a throughput charge, which would vary from product to product and be applied per litre and in line with the handling infrastructure used.&nbsp;“This rate is revised periodically and applies to all customers equally, although there may be different minimum volumes stipulated depending on market share. The CPSTL does not import, export, or sell any products, which is the business of its customers. Therefore it is entirely up to them to ensure that the volumes required to meet their own forecast demand are imported in time for storage and distribution. However, with none of the licensees having thus far invested in infrastructure other than the CPC and LIOC, the CPSTL still needs to cater to everyone’s requirements,” he stressed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The CPC conducts weekly Stock Review Committee (SRC) meetings, to which all active licensees are invited, and has the responsibility of scheduling time and quantity of products being imported, synchronising this with projected demand and available storage.&nbsp;However, the responsibility of ordering and delivering products as planned by the SRC rested entirely with the licensees, the CPC Chairman noted.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The CPC is flexible where possible, but the premise of introducing competition into the retail sector is that licensees are commercially and operationally able to deliver. The CPC will continue to provide as much overhang as possible, but dropping market share and limited storage requires licensees and suppliers to meet their commitments. For example, the upcoming planned refinery shutdown commencing on 7 July and lasting for 42 days has been communicated clearly to all licence holders at the beginning of 2024,” he said.

CPSTL enables forex-based product sharing 

<ul><li>Timeline to shut down power plant under LTGEP</li></ul> A separate company is set to be established to manage operations at Sri Lanka’s only coal power plant, Lakvijaya in Norochcholai, The Sunday Morning has learnt.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is reliably learnt that the Government does not intend to hand over control to its Chinese builders, the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC).&nbsp;Instead, plans are in the pipeline to conduct a proper valuation of the plant and initiate an open tender process.&nbsp;Furthermore, the Ministry of Power and Energy confirmed yesterday (1) that no proposals had been received from the CMEC regarding the plant’s future management.The inception of the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant dates back to 1995 when it was initially proposed. Construction commenced in 2007 and the facility was completed in three phases, culminating in September 2014, with a total power generation capacity of 900 MW.Despite its large capacity, the power plant has been plagued by frequent shutdowns since its commissioning in December 2011.Reports indicate that the plant has experienced over 20 breakdowns, leading to substantial financial losses for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and significant disruptions in the country’s power supply.Responding to a query by The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Power and Energy Secretary Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena acknowledged the existence of a plan to establish a separate company for the operation and maintenance of the Norochcholai Plant.However, he expressed uncertainty about whether such a plan would gain approval from Parliament. “I think the Government will make a prudent decision as this is the largest capacity we have,” Dr. Jayawardena emphasised.Elaborating on the proposal, the Secretary explained: “The plan was to establish a separate company for Lakvijaya to generate electricity and bring down coal requirements.”“We have signed a carbon impact agreement with other countries. It is an international treaty, and according to that we can’t have a new coal power plant in the country. Also, under the Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP), there is a timeline to shut down this coal power plant in future, considering carbon neutrality and renewable energy capacity addition. Until such time, the coal power plant will not be dismantled,” Dr. Jayawardena said.When asked whether the Government was planning to hand it over to its builders, the CMEC, the Secretary emphasised: “We won’t hand it over to CMEC for a proposal as we need to do a valuation. We can’t merely transfer national assets. We need to follow the proper procedure and it will take time as we will have to have a transfer plan and valuation.”“I can’t predict what will happen in Parliament and whether the Legislature will pass it or not, but the proposal is to have a separate company to operate and maintain it,” he added.As of last Friday (31 May), according to CEB statistics, the electricity generated from coal amounted to 12.93 GWh, representing 26.7% of the total electricity requirement of the country.&nbsp;However, during the previous dry season, coal power generation increased to over 40% of the total requirement. Coal power is recognised as the second cheapest power source in the country.Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa halted a coal project, which aimed to expand the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, despite 80% of the initial work being completed. This decision came after Cabinet approvals in 2019 and 2020, with plans for a 300 MW extension and a concessionary loan from China.&nbsp;The proposal involved seeking technical and commercial proposals from the CMEC, with committees appointed to evaluate them. This move was intended to address the high power generation costs and financial challenges faced by the CEB and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).Prior to this, in 2015, former President Maithripala Sirisena cancelled a 500 MW Sampur Coal Power Plant project and a controversial economic committee under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had opposed coal usage.

Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant: Separate company to oversee operations?

Despite the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) ordering the Secretary of Health on 7 July 2017 to provide all relevant files to be submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding the fraudulent supply of trastuzumab 440 mg and to regularly report on the progress regarding a case involving the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), there has been a lack of follow-up for five years.In its latest audit report on the requirement, procurement, supply, distribution, and regulation of medicines in the years 2022 and 2023, the National Audit Office (NAO) alleged that the then NMRA CEO had issued a registration certificate prior to receiving the recommendation of the Medicines Evaluation Committee (MEC) and had provided false information to the court regarding the approval of a medicine by the authority.Despite the gravity of these accusations, no significant progress or updates have been reported on the matter.On 15 July 2022, the Ministry Emergency Procurement Committee had opened bids for the purchase of 500 units of trastuzumab 440 mg vaccine. Following this, on 16 August 2022, it had awarded the purchase order to the bidder offering the lowest price, amounting to Rs. 26,225,000.&nbsp;However, it was later discovered that the NMRA registration certificate submitted by the selected bidder had not been issued to it but belonged to another company instead and had expired approximately 29 months prior, on 17 February 2020.The NAO further revealed that despite the Technical Evaluation Committee recommending on 29 July 2022 that the procurement be awarded only upon submission of a valid registration certificate from the NMRA, the Ministry Emergency Procurement Committee had proceeded to select the bidder on 16 August 2022 without obtaining such a certificate.&nbsp;Additionally, a letter dated 24 April 2021, addressed to the Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) by the Secretary of the State Ministry of Pharmaceuticals Production, Supply, and Regulation, had instructed a temporary halt to all purchases from the involved companies and their subsidiaries until further notice.In relation to this procurement, it has come to light that the Russian manufacturing company of the medicine had informed the Chairman of the Health Sector Emergency Procurement Committee on 20 July 2022 that it had appointed a private company as its Sri Lankan official representative.&nbsp;This representative, however, was identified as the newly-registered name of a company previously temporarily banned by the NMRA. Despite this information, the procurement committee had made decisions without considering these crucial facts.Furthermore, it has been revealed that although the tender conditions specified a product lifetime of two years, the stock offered by the selected bidder only had a lifespan of seven months. This discrepancy significantly limits the useability of the medicine, raising concerns about the procurement process.Moreover, a question arises as to whether the disputed local agency had submitted the remaining stock previously brought to Sri Lanka to the Medical Supplies Division (MSD). The lack of confirmation on this matter further highlights the negligence surrounding the procurement process.While the Procurement Committee’s decision to purchase had been finalised on 16 August 2022 and the SPC had issued the purchase order on 25 August 2022, it has been discovered that the relevant stock of medicines had already been handed over to the MSD on 17 August 2022, prior to the issuance of the purchase order.Attempts made by The Sunday Morning to contact Ministry of Health Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala were futile.Meanwhile, when contacted by The Sunday Morning, COPE member State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that he would have to find out further details of the matter.

COPE order ignored: Five-year stagnation in trastuzumab fraud probe

<ul><li>Ministry awaits DMS letter&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>Following warnings from the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) on potential closures of peripheral healthcare institutions if responsible Health Ministry officials fail to update the number of doctors serving in the country, the Management Service Commission is to issue the relevant letter this week.The GMOA has claimed that 1,390 doctors have had to wait more than eight months to receive post-internship appointments after completing their internships due to the Management Service Commission arbitrarily delaying the granting of permission to provide appointments to this group.GMOA Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe told The Sunday Morning that the association had forwarded a letter to the President in this regard and was awaiting a response from the Management Service Commission as well as the President.&nbsp;He revealed that if there was no positive response within the week, they would have to discuss trade union action.However, speaking to The Sunday Morning on conditions of anonymity, a Deputy Director General of Health Services said that the ministry was hopeful of receiving the letter from the Department of Management Services (DMS) within theweek.Meanwhile, Dr. Wijesinghe said that since the Management Service Commission was an institution under the President, he would have to intervene.&nbsp;“The Health Ministry has done the maximum possible, having provided all the necessary details, but the commission is still not ready to accept the ground reality,” he said.He explained that the commission was maintaining its stance regarding the approved number of doctors in the country based on 2018 figures, which meant that the last cadre revision had been undertaken six years ago.However, given the increased population, hospitals, and hospital units, as well as new specialities, this number was unsustainable at present, Dr. Wijesinghe pointed out.&nbsp;Moreover, the database is yet to be updated with the numbers of doctors who had migrated, he noted.&nbsp;“There is a huge difference between the numbers on paper and the ground reality,” he said, charging that decisions were thus being taken based on the outdated numbers in the database.

Doctor appointments: 1,390 face eight-month wait for appointments

Sri Lanka Police’s operation ‘Yukthiya’ has resulted in the detention of nearly 130,000 suspects since its launch in December 2023, according to Police Media Division statistics.According to the division, a staggering 129,825 individuals have been apprehended in connection with drug offences.&nbsp;Out of these, orders for further interrogation have been issued for approximately 4,640 suspects. In addition the Police has seized substantial quantities of illicit substances.&nbsp;Over 270 kg of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, along with 4,571 kg of marijuana and over 5.3 million marijuana plants, are currently under Police custody, an official of the Police Media Division told The Sunday Morning.In addition, Midigama Ruwan, an alleged underworld leader and member of an international drug network, has been extradited from Dubai by a team of special officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).&nbsp;Authorities suspect Ruwan of orchestrating criminal activities, including the attempted rescue of his brother-in-law Nadun Chinthaka, alias Harak Kata, a notorious figure in the illegal drug trade. Ruwan’s apprehension follows the prior arrest of Harak Kata, with authorities believing the former played a significant role in managing his drug network.When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said that he was thrilled by the progress made by ‘Yukthiya’ because the general public shared this sentiment.“Everywhere I go in the country, people express their satisfaction with the reduced availability of drugs and the resulting increase in prices. This was precisely my goal: to target drug sellers, not addicted persons,” he said.“We’ve made significant strides in apprehending key figures involved in drug trafficking. We’ve successfully brought in individuals like Harak Kata, Salindu, and Manna Ramesh, and, most recently, Midigama Ruwan. Our efforts extend beyond just apprehending small-scale dealers; we’re actively pursuing kingpins, as evidenced by our operations in Dubai,” he emphasised.“From the outset, I made it clear that my focus was on dismantling drug distribution networks, not on punishing addicted persons. Utilising intelligence resources, we compiled a comprehensive list of sellers nationwide, which formed the basis of our operations,” he explained.“I pledged to target major players in the drug trade and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made. It’s immensely satisfying to see our efforts yielding tangible results,” he concluded.‘Yukthiya’ is spearheaded by the Sri Lanka Police under the directives of the Ministry of Public Security. It involves the active participation of the Special Task Force and the Sri Lanka Army and is supervised by Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon.Despite facing criticism from various human rights organisations, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the United Nations Human Rights Council, the operation is ongoing.

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SLR short of Rs. 1 b for maint ...

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CPSTL enables forex-based prod ...

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COPE order ignored: Five-year stagnation in trastuzumab fraud probe

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SLR short of Rs. 1 b for maintenance

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Lakdhanavi to be tasked with L ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

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CPSTL enables forex-based product sharing

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Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant: Separate company to oversee operations?

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COPE order ignored: Five-year stagnation in trastuzumab fraud probe

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