The claims include 500 megawatts of renewable energy project Mannar district in Sri Lanka.
New Delhi:
In a huge political controversy in Sri Lanka over energy project Gautam Adani’s contract groupan allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi lobbied President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to award The project To the industrial has fallen by senior official who made claim and have also President Rajapaksa vehemently denied it.
The government Not commented yet on An allegation that has now been retracted by the President of Sri Lanka Electricity Authority.
The claims include 500 megawatts of renewable energy project Mannar district in Sri Lanka. On Friday, MMC Ferdinando, President of The Sri Lanka Electricity Board (CEB) stated before Parliament panel that President Rajapaksa had told him that Prime Minister Modi had pressured him for give the wind power project directly Adani group.
video posted on It seems that Twitter show Mr. Ferdinando made this claim at a public hearing of The Commission on Public Institutions (COPE). According to newspaper reports, Mr. Ferdinando said panel Mr Rajapaksa “told me that he is under pressure from Modi”.
A day later, President Rajapaksa placed out Deprivation on Twitter. after this, on Sunday official also He did 180 degrees, claiming he was “beaten” with Emotion ‘because of Questions suggesting wrongdoing.
President Rajapaksa had tweeted: “Regarding a statement made By the President of #lka CEB at a hearing of the COPE Committee regarding award of wind power project in Manar, I flatly refuse permission to award this is project for any particular person or entity. I trust responsible Telecommunications in This connection will follow. “
Restatement made by #lka CEB Chairman at a COPE hearing regarding award of wind power project in Manar, I flatly refuse permission to award this is project for any particular person or entity. I trust responsible Telecommunications in This connection will follow.
– Gotabaya Rajapaksa (@GotabayaR) June 11, 2022
for him office also He issued a longer statement “strongly denying” the charge. The president had “unequivocally stated that he was not at any time given a mandate.” award wind power project in Manar to any person or institution.”
“Sri Lanka currently in Acute shortage of power The president wants to speed up implementation of Mega power As soon as possible possible. However, no undue influence will be used in Grant such projects. Project proposals for Large-scale renewable energy projects are limited, but special Attention will be paid to selection of Institutions for Projects to be implemented out strictly in According with Transparency and accountability system by government of Sri Lanka,” President Rajapaksa said office.
A day later, Sri Lankan daily The Morning quoted Ferdinando apologizing and saying he had to name the Indian prime minister due to “unexpected pressures and emotions”.
Controversy erupted a day after Sri Lanka changed Their laws and the dropping of competitive bids for energy projects. Opposition parties accused government of Make the change to facilitate beacon power project Grant the contract to the Adani group.
mineralogist group figured in Parliamentary debate on Electricity amendment bill before it was passed amid opposition protests. The opposition claimed that government Was rushing through the edits to give Big deals for renewable energy for Adani group that signed up for unwanted order government-to me-government Approval build wind mannar power Factory.
The main SJB . opposition in Lanka demanded that projects exceed 10 megawatts of capacity should Going through a competitive bidding process, but the majority of government Representatives’ voice against the condition.
Reportedly, the Adani group won Contracts to develop two wind power Projects in Manar and in Bonnerin, in Dec.
Gautam Adani visited Sri Lanka in October and he had tweeted about his meeting with President Rajapaksa.
Honor to meet the president Tweet embed and PM Tweet embed. In addition to the development of the Western Container Terminal at Colombo Port, Adani Group will explore other infrastructure partnerships. India’s strong ties with Sri Lanka is linked by centuries of ancient historical ties. picture.twitter.com/noq8A1aLAv
– Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) October 26, 2021
In 2021, the Adani Group signed a deal worth $700 million with the state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to develop and run Western International Container Terminal in the strategic port of Colombo.
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