A tense situation was reported in Parliament today after State Minister Anupa Pasqual accused Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva of violating the powers vested in him as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF).
Addressing Parliament today, State Minister Anupa Pasqual made the accusation in relation to the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance’s recent recommendation to take action against officials who oversaw a 2022-2025 coal tender for the Norochcholai coal power plant.
The Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance had made the recommendation based on the report submitted by the Auditor General’s Department.
Responding to the allegation, MP Harsha de Silva said Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera had requested him to conduct an urgent inquiry in this regard under COPF as the Committees on Public Enterprises (COPE) and Public Accounts (COPA) had not been appointed at the time.
MP de Silva said he had then informed the Energy Minister and the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that it was necessary to ascertain if the Committee on Public Finance possesses the mandate to conduct such an inquiry.
Stating that the Parliament Secretary General had informed that the Parliament Committee, COPF, has the powers to carry out such an inquiry, MP Harsha de Silva further said that the inquiry had been commenced after officially informing the Energy Minister and the Speaker.
MP Harsha de Silva further slammed State Minister Anupa Pasqual for carrying out a mudslinging campaign against him in Parliament. (NewsWire)