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We cannot allow obstacles to delay development - President at Norochcholai [Monday, August 06, 2007 - 11.10 GMT]
It is not possible to delay the development process because of the many obstacles one may find on the way to development. Implementing the projects essential for development cannot be put off for another day, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa today (Aug 06) after observing the progress made so far on the Norochcholai Thermal Power Project.
The President said that while the government has initialed a large-scale development programme for the East, it was necessary to restore peace to begin development work in the North.
He added that had construction work on the Norochcholai Power Project begun on time, work on it would have been completed by now. This important development project had been delayed by nearly 15 years for a variety of reasons, and it was the people who had suffered as a result. Norochcholai is an asset of the people, he said.
At a time when the price of oil was rising daily in the international markets, the government faced losses in supplying fuel to the CEB at subsidized rates, in order to relieve the people of the burden of high electricity charges. As a result of the Norochcholai Power Project the cost of electricity could be brought down in the future, the President said.
He also said that cheaper electricity would help in bringing down the cost of living in the future, and expressed satisfaction at the Government’s ability to initiate work on three power projects at Kotmale, Kerawalapitiya and Norochcholai.
The President expressed his gratitude to the Government of China for the assistance given for this project.
The Norochcholai Thermal Power Project which will have a capacity of 900 MW will be able to supply 300 MW to the national power grid by 2011. Its entire capacity would be added to the national grid by 2015.
The construction of this power plant is being done under long-term assistance from China, which is providing assistance amounting to US$ 455 million for this project, making this a significant example of Sri Lankan- Chinese Friendship.
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