Archives

by Hilary Rajakarunanayake 

The power cut will be completely lifted from tomorrow said Minister of Lands, Irrigation and Power and Deputy Minister of Defence, General Anuruddha Ratwatte, at a press conference at the Ministry last morning.

Minister Ratwatte explained that although the Government loses Rs. 1,000,000,000 (Rs. one billion) a month on generating thermal power and this loss is subsidised, the Government has not and will not impose this burden on the electricity consuming public. Today it costs Rs. 7.00 to produce one unit of thermal power, whereas it is sold for only Rs. 4.50.

Power cuts are not anything new in countries dependent on hydro power. Power cuts are quite frequent in New Zealand and Brazil since they too are dependent on hydro power. The UNP Government imposed 404 days of power cuts from 1980 to 1994. The PA Government imposed the power cut only for 131 days, from 2nd July this year. The power cut was necessitated due to the failure of both the North East and the South West monsoons in recent times and the consequent lack of rain, said Minister Ratwatte.

Clarifying the issue further, Minister Ratwatte said that today 84 per cent of our power needs are met by hydro power and 16 per cent by thermal power. Thermal power could be generated either by fuel or by coal. To cope with population and industrial growth we need another 900 megawatts of electricity. The coal project initially planned at Norachcholai had to be abandoned due to vehement protests by the Bishop of Chilaw and the Catholic Church in that area. One protestor even paid with his life. Furthermore, the Japanese who were willing to fund the project in three stages, withdrew their aid proposals when they heard of the protests of those resenting the erection of a coal powered plant at Norachcholai.

Replying a question raised by the press as to what future plans he had to meet with the power crisis, Minister Ratwatte said that two proposals were on the cards,one to use residual oil and the other to use heavy fuel oil to generate electricity supplementing the hydro electric schemes. Furthermore, certain structural changes to reduce overheads are also being undertaken by the CEB on generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

Referring to an accusation brought at a recent UNP propaganda meeting by former UNP Minister Gamini Jayawickrema Perera that he had sold certain items of machinery from a plant at Norachcholai, Minister Ratwatte challenged him to prove this saying "that must be a machine part of a coconut oil mill that belonged to a coconut land surreptitiously acquired by Jayawickrema Perera during the last UNP regime. If he can prove this I am prepared to even resign my portfolio".

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager