Mannar wind power project Kanchana trying to sneak in Electricity Bill amidst Cricket chaos? Charitha

• Agreements on all other electricity generation projects were signed for  twenty years, but the projects under India’s Adani Group were signed for  thirty years

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama   

Amidst the cricket chaos, the Power and Energy Ministry is trying to sneak in the 2009 Electricity Act through India’s Adani Group by falsely portraying that the Mannar wind power project is a project between Sri Lanka and India and not a private project, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Prof. Charitha Herath said.   

Addressing the media, he said the Power and Energy Ministry is in a hurry to sign all documents relating to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Adani Group to establish a new wind power plant in the Mannar basin with a capacity of 250 MW.   

However, the Ministry is ready to complete the signing of all agreements before November 25, he said.   

“According to the 2009 Electricity Act, a bit of a process should be followed for local generation of electricity by any private company. But this process was not followed for projects conducted between two governments (government to government, G to G),” he said.   

After completing the project, the responsible groups, including the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) chairman and general managers, are trying to sell one unit of wind power-generated electricity.   

“These people have been trying to sign this agreement for 30 years. Meanwhile, fixing three new transformers at the Nadukuda Grid Substation was attached to the said project. The agreement signing process has been boosted these days, other than those mentioned in the agreements,” Herath said.   

He further said that it has been estimated to sell one unit of electricity, which is currently being generated from Pooneryn Wind-Solar Hybrid Energy Park, for Rs. 46. A total of 234 MW of electricity is generated from the Pooneryn wind-solar power plant.   

The agreements on all other electricity generation projects were signed for twenty years, but the projects under India’s Adani Group were signed for thirty years.   
The officials at the Power and Energy Ministry and the CEB were requested to make a note that they were forced to make this agreement with any of the higher officials, such as ministers, because there would be a definitive investigation over this issue by the next incoming government, Prof. Herath claimed.