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Funds for Kotmale in the balance
Funding by the Japanese government for the long-delayed Upper Kotmale power project may be in jeopardy if the project designs are changed to suit political and environmental considerations, a top Japanese official said.

Shinya Ejima, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Chief Representative told The Sunday Times that they were not convinced the proposed changes to the controversial project were necessary and had explained this to the authorities.

"We are not convinced that the changes to exclude the five tributary intakes from the main dam are necessary. If that happens, the power generation will be reduced by 20 percent. I am not saying we would pull out, but normally the Japanese government doesn't accept changes after a project is approved," he said.

The Upper Kotmale project has been steeped in controversy beginning from the former UNF regime where it ran into environmental concerns - coupled with dislocation of families claim raised by the powerful CWC.

The controversy spilled over during the current UPFA regime whose Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha is keen to launch the project as soon as possible due to an acute shortage of power. But the government is constrained by desperately needing CWC strongman Arumugam Thondaman's support - which would come only if the UPFA bows to his demands.

"We may accept the changes if they are reasonable or inevitable. Normally we don't accept changes due to political considerations. I'm not saying that may be the case here. We don't know when a decision would be made on this. But I hope it will be soon", Mr. Ejima said.

Upper Kotmale project would take four years to be completed and if work starts now, completion would be by end 2008, he added.

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