UNP hiked electricity prices by 100 percent - Pavithra

Ridma Dissanayake

The UNP never took measures to reduce the electricity bill. They killed over 60,000 youths after harassing them and hanged them on electricity towers, Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.

Addressing a special meeting with ministry officials, the minister said UNP supporters and politicians should remember that it was the UNP which increased electricity prices by 100 percent. "The low cost power generating projects like Norochcholai and Upper Kotmale were proposed during the period when the UNP ruled the country. But they did not launch these projects. They only did things for their political benefit," the minister said.

She said this government under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken measures to provide electricity for all Sri Lankans while facing challenges from certain elements. "Arrangements are in place to provide electricity to the whole country by next year," Wanniarachchi said.

She said the second and third power plants in Norochcholai will be opened in 2013 and 2014.

These will add 600 mega watts to the national electricity grid. The construction of the Sampur Power Plant will commence this year. This will add another 500 mega watts to the national electricity grid.

In addition to this, the construction of Broadlands Power Plant, known as the last hydro power plant in Sri Lanka, will also commence this year under the Mahinda Chinthana future vision, Wanniarachchi said. The minister said all Sri Lankans are aware of the suffering the people had to face during the UNP rule.