News
Norochcholai environmental impact affects entire country – COPE
Chairman of the COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises), Prof Charitha Herath, on Tuesday, said the entire country was affected by the Norochcholai Lakvijaya coal power plant complex and thus the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) had a pivotal role to play in the supervision of the power plant complex.
COPE studied the coal power plant complex and its environmental impact, during a meeting on Tuesday in Parliament.
The environmental assessment of the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant should not be left to the Environmental Authority of the North Western Provincial Council alone. The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) must also be involved as issues created by the power plant, for example air pollution, had an impact on the entire country, the COPE Chairman said.
Prof. Herath added that given the Lakvijaya Power Plant had ambitious expansion plans; the Central Environmental Authority and the Provincial Environmental Authority should carry out those assessments jointly.
It was also revealed that the Ceylon Electricity Board had suffered a loss of Rs. 85 billion last year because no new power plants had been constructed since 2015 and the emergency power purchases at high prices.
These facts were revealed by the CEB officials summoned before the COPE on Tuesday to give evidence on a probe conducted on the Norochcholai Lakvijaya coal power plant complex and its environmental impact.
Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Nalaka Godahewa, Sarath Weerasekara, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, Eran Wickramaratne, Jagath Pushpakumara, Premanath C. Dolawatta, S. M. Marikkar, Nalin Bandara and Ranjan Ramanayake were also present at the meeting presided by COPE Chairman Prof. Herath.
Herath said that according to the long-term plan of the Lakvijaya coal power plant, a 300 megawatt plant was to be added to the complex by 2023 and further 300 megawatts by 2026.
CEB officials were asked by MP Patali Champika Ranawaka whether the Lakvijaya power complex could facilitate the increased capacity as stated. The officials said that they were still looking ar the issue and that the expansions would be carried out only if the relevant requirements could be met.
The committee also focused on the management of fly-ash collected at the plant. There are large piles of fly-ash in the yard, and Herath said that Rs. 26 million was spent each year to spray water on the fly-ash. The Chairman asked what the CEB was being done about the 6,580,000 tons of fly-ash stored in the premises. The officials said that they were trying to manufacture bricks using it.
The COPE noticed that the first of the three units operating at the Lakvijaya Power Plant did not operate at full capacity and that there had been several breakdowns.
Ranawaka said that immediate action needed to be taken as the Lakvijaya Power Plant contributed to most of the country’s electricity generation.
Streamlining of the cooling water disposal method at the complex, the impact of the ground water in the area, the quality of coal, and the capacity of unloading coal were also discussed at the COPE meeting.
Power sector workers shouldn’t be granted year-end bonuses
Leader of the Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) and former Power Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that CEB workers shouldn’t be granted year end/Christmas bonuses as they had not contributed to the much favourable current financial status of that state-owned enterprise.
Ex-parliamentarian Ranawaka said that the CEB had earned massive profits solely by implementing extremely unfair tariff structure, therefore workers shouldn’t be paid bonuses.
The former Minister was addressing the media at the EJP Colombo office. Referring to official records, the EJP leader said that the CEB had earned a profit of Rs. 6161 mn in 2023 and also saved Rs. 36 bn. So far this year (January to November), the CEB had recorded Rs. 263 bn profit but the government continued to fleece consumers.
Ranawaka also questioned the failure on the part of the government to provide electricity consumers relief as decided by the Cabinet during the previous government that there would be quarterly revision of pricing formula.
Ranawaka said that the government should explain why it couldn’t decrease fuel prices by a significant amount. The NPP administration should at least admit that it couldn’t do away with the current unbearable tax regime. The ex-parliamentarian asked the NPP to acknowledge that the government feared collapse in case of abolition of heavy taxes on fuel.
The ex-Minister challenged the NPP to prove accusations that had been directed at ministers of previous governments without propagating allegations. According to Ranawaka, both diesel and petrol prices remained high as the government levied Rs 50 and 72 on diesel and petrol, respectively, in addition to 18% VAT (Value Added Tax).
Ranawaka pointed out that in addition to Ceypetco, IOC and Sinopec had been levying taxes heavily with diesel (Rs 88-94) and petrol (Rs 110-117) imports per litre (SF)
A person who had been apprehended by protesting Development Officers during a noisy demonstration outside the Education Ministry at Isurupaya and handed over to police was subsequently identified as a member of the Military Intelligence.
Police said that those demanding they be made permanent in the teaching service alleged that the apprehended man allegedly caused injuries to policemen deployed at the scene.
A Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) and two constables were injured. (HR)
Muhammathu Saali Naleem was sworn in as a member of the Tenth Parliament yesterday before Speaker Dr. Asoka Ranwala.
Following the oath taking, Naleem signed the Members’ Roll in the presence of Secretary General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, marking his formal induction into the legislative body. Naleem was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament, representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).
The inaugural session of the Tenth Parliament took place on November 21st, 2024, with members taking their oaths the following day. On November 22nd, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification confirming Naleem’s appointment to the National List of the SLMC, paving the way for his oath-taking ceremony yesterday.
Before entering Parliament, Naleem served as the Chairman of the Eravur Urban Council, bringing valuable local governance experience to his new role as a lawmaker.
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