The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam

¶ 01 Hon. Chair, in this Budget, the Ministry of Energy has been allocated Rs. 20,081 million for capital and Rs. 1,061 million for recurrent expenditure. Energy is critical for the country’s development. The President emphasized prioritizing renewable energy and modernization of infrastructure, aiming for 70% energy from renewables by 2030, welcoming foreign and domestic investors, and enacting the necessary regulatory framework.

¶ 02 In the North and East, wind power is a particularly viable, low-cost, and environmentally benign renewable option. In Mannar, while Phase I of the wind project is completed and Phase II is commencing, the public has serious concerns and is expressing opposition, mainly due to the investor’s lack of transparency and alleged favouritism towards certain private parties during Phase I. Poorly executed construction in Phase I contributed to major flooding during the recent monsoon, as natural drainage paths to the sea were blocked, leaving areas inundated for months. I request the Minister to address these issues.

¶ 03 Further, local communities have not derived adequate benefits (population-level benefits) from the project, and corporate social responsibility funds are reportedly being distributed improperly. Jobs and local problem-solving could have been supported through CSR, particularly for returnee and local populations; failure to do so fuels opposition. I urge the Minister to intervene.

¶ 04 On solar: the North and East have high solar potential and extensive state-owned fallow lands not used for cultivation. Establishing solar farms there would provide livelihoods and strengthen national supply. Rooftop solar by households has reportedly been halted for various reasons. People eagerly wish to install rooftop systems to secure steady income or reduce bills. Denials citing transformer or grid capacity constraints should not be casual. In the North, the grid has nodes at Chunnakam, Kilinochchi, Mannar, and Vavuniya; yet grid-capacity constraints are cited. While Rs. 290 million is allocated for rooftop solar for low-income families, religious places, and water treatment plants, implementation will lag if grid and transformer upgrades are not done. Please enhance grid capacity accordingly.

¶ 05 Additionally, connection charges are burdensome for low-income families, female-headed households, and vulnerable groups. I request free connections for the most vulnerable.

¶ 06 Please also consider concessional electricity tariffs for cottage industries, small producers, small livestock farmers, and small-scale cultivators.

¶ 07 Regarding fuel subsidies: previous schemes for agriculture and fisheries are not visibly funded in this Budget. I request allocations for subsidized fuel for resettled and war-affected people engaged in farming and fishing.

¶ 08 Finally, there is severe human resource shortage in our regions. For example, in Kilinochchi District there is no dedicated CEB Engineer; Jaffna’s Engineer oversees Kilinochchi as well, causing delays. With major renewable plans in the North and East, please staff the Ministry and utilities adequately in these regions.