The Supreme Court has issued notices to several respondents, including Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody, in connection with a Fundamental Rights Petition filed alleging that the government has suffered a loss of over Rs. 3 billion due to irregularities in the award of a solar power plant tender in Siyambalanduwa, Athimale.
The petitioner claims that the Ceylon Electricity Board had called for tenders to construct a 100-megawatt solar power plant and that the government suffered a significant financial loss by awarding the contract to the highest bidder, disregarding the lowest bid.
The Supreme Court, which issued this order, ordered that the notice be sent through courier service before February 24 at the petitioner’s expense.
According to the petition, the tender to supply electricity at US$0.08 per kilowatt-hour was not considered and was awarded to a company that had submitted a tender of US$0.122 per kilowatt-hour.
Petitioner Milinda Prasanna Madugalle stated that he came to know about the decision of the Electricity Board through the media on January 21, 2025.
The petition further states that the company that was awarded the contract later agreed to supply electricity at US$0.08 per kilowatt-hour. However, the government has agreed to cover the cost of additional transmission facilities over a period of 10 years, at a significant increase in costs.
The decision was announced by a bench of Supreme Court Justices S. Thurairajah and Sampath B. Abeykoon.