- Alleges language policy-related violations
The Electricity Consumers Association (ECA) has requested the Legal Draftsman's (LD) Department to immediately discard the draft amendments to the Electricity Act, No. 36 of 2024, submitted by the Ministry of Energy, alleging that it violates the Constitution and the Official Language Policy.
A notification was published on the ministry's official website on 28 January 2025, inviting proposals from interested parties regarding amendments to the Electricity Act proposed by a committee headed by the ministry's Secretary, along with a copy of the committee's report in English.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, the ECA General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said that when drafting laws or amendments, they must comply with the Constitution and be submitted to the Legal Draftsman in all three languages. However, he claimed that the Ministry failed to follow this procedure when preparing the draft amendment to the Electricity Act and referring the same to the Legal Draftsman. "On 23 January, the Cabinet of Ministers granted its approval for the recommendations prepared by the committee to draft the 'Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill'. On 28 January, the ministry published a notice seeking public proposals on the amendments. However, the relevant proposals had already been referred to the Legal Draftsman by then. This is an act of deception toward the public." he claimed.
Dhammika further said that a complaint has been filed with the Official Languages Commission, citing a violation of the Official Language Policy through the publication of the said committee's report only in English. Considering these facts, he opined that the Legal Draftsman has neither the authority nor the moral right to approve the draft in question. The ECA, in a letter addressed to the Legal Draftsman's Department, has urged that the relevant draft be discarded with immediate effect.
The Constitution, under the Official Language section, states that the Official Languages of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala and Tamil, and that English shall be the link language.
Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody was not available for comment.