By Niranjala Ariyawansha

Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy Dr. Suren Batagoda said yesterday that, it has been decided by SCAPC (Standard Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee) to open the financial biddings of only one company in relation to the 300MW Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Power Plant scheduled to be constructed at Kerawalapitiya, which has created much controversy.

However, he emphasized that the SCAPC decision is not the final decision and the remaining seven bidders can present themselves at an Appeal Board against it.

He made these comments in response to an inquiry we made as to whether a decision has been made to open the financial biddings of only one company, in an illegal manner, by SCAPC without taking into consideration the recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC). Even prior to this, the SCAPC had decided to award this tender sans any competition, in an illegal manner to only one company. The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) had expressed their strong opposition to that decision.

A fundamental rights petition filed in Court that this tender is illegal, is already being heard.

With media reports that were published that there was corruption behind awarding of the tender, the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ranjith Siyambalapitiya suspended the opening of financial biddings.

Read More:  Kerawalapitiya LNG Plant Appeals Board will consider bid revisions

Ceylon today 2017-08-10