Sri Lanka to take up Indian concerns over awarding of power projects to China

The Sri Lankan government will be looking into concerns of India which has lodged a strong protest on the award of a tender to a Chinese company to set up three renewable energy projects in outlying islands off the Jaffna peninsula.

Co-Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella today confirmed that India has made representations about the proposed projects in three islands off the Jaffna peninsula.

“We are looking into the complaint and it will be discussed in detail”, Minister Rambukwella told the post cabinet news conference.

The Sunday Times exclusively reported that India has protested about the project.

India’s protest was on the grounds that such a move would raise security concerns for it. The islands concerned are the Delft Island, Analativu and Nainativu. The islands, separated by the Palk Strait from India, were in close proximity to India’s coast.

The Delft Island is only 48 kilometres away from the Indian coastal town of Rameshwaram.

The energy project’s local partner, the Ceylon Electricity Board, has finalised matters related to the project by identifying lands for the joint venture with Etechwin of China. The funds for the project are to come from the Asian Development Bank.

The USD 12-million-project has been awarded to MS/Sinosar-Etechwin joint venture in China.