Power and Energy Minister says:

No more agreements with private producers

Shirley WIJESINGHE

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka emphasized that there would be no more agreements to purchase electricity with the independent power producers.

In case privately produced power is added to the national grid, the CEB will pay the proprietor only the quantity of power that is in excess of that producer's consumption.

He also said that the expenditure incurred by the CEB on power generation projects launched under the Mahaweli accelerated program heavily affected the price of a power unit in 1979.

The increase was about 13 times, he added.

He assured that the CEB's plight would be resolved and the institution would reach a better standard in the future.

Meanwhile, CEB Chairman Vidya Amarapala revealed that about Rs 4.6 million had been collected in three days as fine from the electricity pirates in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara during sudden raids.