Power cut in Jaffna peninsula will continue – SLEB

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 October 2010, 10:19 GMT]
Jaffna Sri Lanka Electricity Board (SLEB) is forced to impose one hour power cut during nights in entire Jaffna peninsula as ‘Northern Power’, the Chinese firm which had entered into a contract to supply the electricity needs of the peninsula has failed to do so, its officials said. Though the officials had attempted to suspend the contract of Northern Power high level officers of Sri Lanka government had obstructed it. It is alleged that a large sum of money has been paid as bribe by Northern Power to obstruct the move to suspend its contract. SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother Minister Basil Rajapaksa is alleged to be using his influence to keep Northern Power in Jaffna despite its inefficiency, sources in Jaffna said.

Northern Power has been struggling to produce enough electricity with the four generators it had installed in Chunnaakam four years ago due to the bad condition of the generators.

Though SL government had announced that the hydro electric power from Laxapana will be brought through Vanni along the A9 road nothing has happened so far.

Supply of Laxapana electricity to Jaffna had stopped with the clashes that erupted in 1990. Electricity to Jaffna peninsula is being supplied from Chunnaakam SLEB generators for the past twenty years.

Meanwhile, SL government has made a new announcement that windmills are to be installed in the coastal areas from Kaangkeasanthu’rai to Maathakal to generate electricity.

A team of the Malaysian firm which had consented to help in installing the windmills had visited the location recently to study the project, sources in Jaffna said.

Though Sri Lanka government says that foreign investors are ready to begin various development projects in the peninsula, it is unable to ensure sufficient electricity supply, the basic need for all development, the sources further said.