Batalanda Commission report : No provision to debate a P’ment sessional paper presented 25 years ago: Ranil

By Yohan Perera   

Taking up a debate on a sessional paper which had been presented to Parliament nearly 25 years ago is against both Sri Lankan and global parliamentary tradition.  

It was presented to Parliament as a sessional paper since 2025.  

However no one including the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) made a request for a debate on it for the last 25 years.  Many have rejected the report during that time. It is possible concluded that the report was not taken up for a debate all these years because of this reason. No party which had come to power has tried to gain political mileage out of this report. Also it is against the parliamentary tradition of Sri Lanka and the globe to take up a debate on a sessional paper that has been presented 25 years ago,” Wickremeisnghe said.

Sessional papers are parliamentary papers which include accounts and papers, public bills, committee reports, and Command papers. Wickremesinghe also said the following in his statement.   

The JVP launched an insurrection in 1987 just after the Indo Lanka pact was signed. The then President late J. R. Jayewardene handed over the task of safeguarding strategically important state institutions to members of the Cabinet. The oil refinery, Thermal power plant, and the Free trade zone were located at Biyagama. Therefore the security forces were called in to safeguard these institutions. It was decided that they would be provided accommodation at some houses and other buildings which was owned by the State Fertilizer Manufacturing Corporation. The Sapugaskanda police station was attacked during that time. The then State Minister of Defence Ranjan Wijeratne requested me to make arrangements to release the buildings of State Fertilizer Manufacturing Corporation to the security forces. Accordingly action was taken to handover the buildings to SSP Nalin Delgoda. In the meantime a member of the Western provincial council, head of a cooperative unit and a police officer was killed by the JVP in the area. The then government had to ensure security and normalcy in the country.  

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed a commission to determine whether an unlawful detention center existed in Batalanda. I was called in to testify before the commission only as a witness. The commission was appointed to sling mud . However this effort was failed. The commission has only determined that the procedure followed in handing over buildings to the forces was not correct. It has said the location should have been handed over to the IGP. Other findings of the commission are not relevant to me. Therefore I reject this commission report.