Rajapaksa paints himself into a corner; plans for new party put on hold

Yoshitha Rajapaksa being brought to the Kaduwala courts on Thursday: Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and wife were at the premises with a few supporters – much less than the number that turned up on an earlier occasion.

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, February 28, 2016

• Breakthrough in Thajudeen case, key persons likely to be arrested, Rajapaksa family members also face prison terms
• ‘Joint Opposition’ leaders now holding talks with SLFP ministers after Speaker agrees to grant some privileges
• PM orders full probe on Thursday’s worst-ever blackout; sabotage suspected; plans to ensure energy for mega development drive

The worst power disruption in the country in recent decades will cost the Government an estimated Rs. 600 million or Rs. 200 million an hour, according to reports reaching Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Thursday’s countrywide blackout also caused severe damage to the Norochcholai Lakvijaya power plant preventing it from supplementing power demand during peak hours to meet the shortfall from the national grid. As a result, since Friday, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has been compelled to resort to unannounced power cuts in outer areas and it has appealed to consumers in metropolitan Colombo to cut down on the use of electrical appliances. Power is yet to be restored to some outer areas. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PCUSL), a statutory body, has asked the CEB for its power cut schedule to keep consumers informed. However, the PCUSL has been told that there were no such cuts. More details of how the country was without electricity for three hours appear elsewhere in this newspaper.

Premier Wickremesinghe, who is making a personal study of the adverse impact of the blackout, is to appoint a high powered Committee to probe the matter. It will also ascertain why existing mechanisms to cope with lightning after it occurs were not utilised and whether there was any attempted sabotage. The composition of the committee is now being worked out and will be announced in the coming week. The Government’s concerns have been heightened by fears that new development plans now approved or in the pipeline would be hampered by a repeat of such occurrences. Already the ‘power shedding’ for as much as six hours a day is causing serious concern.

“We found that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB)’s future projections were completely off the mark. Even before the blackout, the Power Consultation Committee of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs was discussing this matter. This was after the CEB had placed its projections,” Premier Wickremesinghe told the Sunday Times. Hectic worldwide inquiries are being made to obtain help to prevent any further blackouts and ensure a stable supply until projects are evolved to increase supply.
A Government source said the present situation in the electricity sector could not go unchecked. He said that the hydro storage capacity was 1100 gigawatt hours. It was now 700 hours and power cuts would become inevitable if it fell to the 300 hour mark, he warned. It was imperative, the source argued, that the existing supply and distribution systems are not disrupted whilst the Government plans to expand power production.

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