The Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) has accused the Ministry of Energy of misleading the Cabinet over the controversial Sahasdanavi Power Plant proposal, alleging serious inaccuracies in cost calculations that could impose an additional financial burden on the public.
ECA General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika claimed that three institutions, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), and Sahasdanavi Ltd. — have all presented cost estimates that contradict figures cited in the Cabinet paper.
“The PUCSL calculated a unit cost of Rs. 43.25, the CEB placed it at Rs. 37, and Sahasdanavi quoted Rs. 39.63 including capital expenditure but the Cabinet paper suggests a figure far removed from these,” he said.
Dhammika demanded the resignation of Energy Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala, alleging he misled the Cabinet by omitting key operational costs, including startup and maintenance expenses from the proposal.
“This agreement is the biggest fraud in recent times,” he stated, warning that consumers will face a price hike of Rs. 1 per unit of electricity due to a Rs. 15 billion annual capacity charge, regardless of whether the plant is commissioned.
He also questioned the silence of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), urging immediate government action to suspend the decision.
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