By Saman Indrajith
The Kerawalapitiya Thermal Power Plant does not come under the purview of his Ministry, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told Parliament yesterday.
The Minister was responding to a question raised by UNP Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekera. MP Jayasekera wanted to know whether the operations of the Kerawalapitiya Thermal Power Plant had been suspended owing to a bill amounting to Rs 3,800 million. The minister said it was not gazetted under his ministry. "This plant does not come under the purview of my ministry’s purview. It belongs to a separate company," he said.
UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe rose up and asked for a clarification as to who owns the Kerawalapitiya Plant. "Who refers it to the COPE then? Who maintains and monitors its shares?"
The Minister said that any company that is not gazetted under a particular minister comes automatically under the purview of the President. "I am not telling you that the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant does not belong to the Government. It does not come under my ministry," Minister Ranawaka said.
The Minister however admitted that the generation of electricity in the Kerawlapitiya power plant was stopped intermittently due to the non receipt of fuel.
MP Jayasekera said that the loss incurred from the Norochchoali Power Plant exceeded the Rs 100 million mark and asked Minister Ranawaka whether he admits it was a ‘colossal mistake.’
"We do not consider it a major mistake. It is a new experiment we did in the energy sector. It is completely a new thing. And when trying out new trends, it is very normal to face shortcomings," the Minister said.
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