Isuru Kasthurirathne

AKD posted two of his campaign ads, and they’re absolute gold. They’re heartfelt, hit all the right notes, and are powerful enough to make people forget JVP’s violent past. No other candidate is even close to AKD’s level of campaign strategy and creativity. The only thing holding him back now is his own team, which RW has managed perfectly.

@kulanthisilva @TharakaBalasur1 මුල සිටම සරලව කුලන්ති දුවගේ දැන ගැනීමට... If you have any doubts, please contact @kanchana_wij for any clarifications.

If you need to obtain or authenticate a certificate from a specific ministry, you will soon be able to complete the entire process online. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with the Ministry of Education and the Registrar General’s Department to make this a reality. For example, if you need a police report, even if the police department processes it manually, the police will be able to upload and link the information so that you can have it couriered to you. This will eliminate the need to waste time in queues and visiting multiple departments. Japan and the IOM are supporting the initiative to begin issuing biometric passports with embedded electronic chips. Sri Lanka is also planning to initially involve 21 of its missions worldwide to assist Sri Lankans in obtaining these new passports. Dinamina interviews Tharaka Balasuriya

Sri Lanka is on a journey. Since 2022, we have worked hard together to recover from our past challenges, but there is still more to be done. Today, I officially announce my candidacy for President of Sri Lanka, and to continue my duties to you, the Sri Lankan people. My commitment to you and our country is unwavering. Together, we will continue to build a prosperous future, but that can only be done with stability. #Ranil24

In November 2019, Gotabaya Rajapaksa raised the PAYE tax threshold from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 250,000 per month.

@Ranil_President @SayuriYuri20 @RW_SRILANKA @UNPunOfficial

Timeline is colourful with these kind of edits 😍🥰 @RW_SRILANKA @UNPunOfficial #Ranil2024 #lka RW

@SayuriYuri20 @kulanthisilva Too heavy to carry

❤

@kulanthisilva Who's your favourite supporter of RW?? Choka Malli, Mahindananda or Rattaran? 😂😂

@kulanthisilva The base for 4.5 cents $ is the current international prices. Even the 50 MW tender opened recently recorded a 4.88 cents $ price (1/10th of Adani's project). Btw, Adani is only paying 30 year lease cost for the lands and the lands are being acquired by the SLSEA as per the Act.

@isuru_max The fixed tariff of $0.0826 per kWh is not an arbitrary figure. It includes costs such as land acquisition, interest, and operational expenses and also they are not a charity. Also can you clarify the source and basis for the $0.045 per kWh tariff?

Adani’s wind power investment in Mannar and Pooneryn will add 484 megawatts to Sri Lanka’s power grid with a $740 million investment. An additional $290 million will go into transmission infrastructure, making this one of the largest, if not the largest, single source FDIs in Sri Lanka’s history and the biggest power project ever. Adani is also developing a $700 million terminal at Colombo Port. 90% or more of the employees for Adani projects are sourced locally. The wind power projects, proposed in late 2021, received approval from the Cabinet, AG’s Department, Environmental Authorities, and Ceylon Electricity Board at the beginning of 2022. The set fixed tariff of $0.0826 per kWh for the next twenty years is based on costs, including securing land at their own expense, unlike other power projects, as well as interest and operational costs. This rate is significantly cheaper than the $0.2699 per kWh paid for CEB’s thermal power (produced from heating fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas) and the $0.0967 to $0.1399 per kWh for other wind projects, and lower than the $0.0875 per kWh set by the Oddamavadi solar project. In layman’s terms, Adani’s energy will be the cheapest in Sri Lanka. It will stabilise the power supply and dismantle the trade union mafia, who have not only caused suffering but also threatened to disrupt power supply and keep people in the dark during the 2022 unrest. This same trade union faction, tied to a violent political party notorious for damaging power infrastructure during past insurgencies, will be severely challenged by this project as they will lose their power to inconvenience people to a greater extent. The main opposition party and opposition-backed advisors and environmentalists have no solid reason to oppose this investment except for the fact that they will not be able to take credit for it. Most importantly, this project will ensure Sri Lanka has access to affordable electricity and will prevent crippling blackouts like those during the 2022 economic crisis. Adani’s wind power project will avoid prime hotspots for bird migratory pathways. They will use advanced technology to minimise environmental impact. AI-based radar will shut down turbines during high-risk periods, and deterrents like painted blade tips and slower-rotating, taller turbines will reduce bird collisions. Studies focused on the USA, UK, and Europe have found that fossil fuels kill nearly 17 or more times more birds per unit of energy than wind energy. And interestingly, even cats, buildings, and cars cause significantly more bird deaths than wind power plants. Let Sri Lanka shine!

@kulanthisilva And it's not 1 Billion LKR, (0.0826−0.045)×484,000×24×365×0.42×300×20 = 401.7 Billion LKR

@kulanthisilva Simple arithmetics. (the difference of the market price and this absurd price given to Adani) x annual energy yield x 20

@kulanthisilva When you don't know the basis of electricity, this happens. I feel sorry for you for your unawareness. I wonder how you can mention trembling the TUs, using a PP, which produces electricity at 8.26 cents USD/kWh at a Billion rupees loss to the Sri Lanka over next 20 years.

@kulanthisilva Better to read first what you are going to post. What you are given to post is entirely inaccurate. If you don't know the market prices of Wind Electricity, there are many ways to search via internet. How can you compare thermal power with wind or any other source?

@numberslka @kulanthisilva රෙදි සෝදමු, shall we? 😂😂

Adani Wind Plant Deal: Sri Lanka to Lose 100x More Than the infamous Bond Scam Over 20 Years ⭕ Yesterday, the CEB published the bids received for the 50MW wind power plant in Mannar, which they have called for competitive bids on a 20-year Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) basis. Bids recieved (USD cents per 1 kWh) 1. 4.88 - Windforce 2. 4.98 - Vidullanka consortium 3. 5.90 - Lakdhanavi ⭕ Last month, Sri Lanka's Cabinet approved Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera's proposal to award Adani the contract for a 484 MW wind farm in the same region, bypassing competitive bidding process. Rate: 8.26 USD per kWh ⭕ Same region, same duration of 20 years, same payment structure, much larger plant (which allows further reduced unit cost) for Adani approved at a 69% higher rate than the lowest bid here. Let's break down the financial impact: Adani vs Windforce With a plant factor of 40, ⭕ Production estimate for Adani's farm: 484 MW × 40% × 24 hours × 365 ×1,000 ≈ 1.69 billion units/year ⭕ Annual cost for CEB: • Adani: 1.69 billion units × $0.0826 ≈ $140 million • WindForce: 1.69 billion units × $0.0488 ≈ $83 million ⭕ Additional cost due to Adani's deal: • Annual: $140M - $83M = $57M • Over 20 years: $57M × 20 = $1.14 billion ⭕ To put this in perspective, the 2015 bond scam, considered Sri Lanka's largest financial scandal to date, resulted in a loss of $11 million. The potential loss from the Adani deal is over 100 times that amount. One has to ask: Is it too much to expect a fair, competitive bidding process for massive national projects? If Sri Lanka can't prevent this level of apparent corruption at the highest levels of government, what hope is there for the country?

@shehanrat @kulanthisilva These people are කුලියට කහින fellows. They would not understand the morale behind encroaching the judicial territory by the legislature. She රෙදි නැතිව went on Gota campaign earlier. She'll find someone else to praise after the defeat of RW.

@kulanthisilva So if MS appointed a Parliamentary select committee in 2018 and bypassed the courts decision when they ruled against his actions to appoint MR as PM, that's okay by you? 🤔

I am surprised by this post. Or should I not be? As a woman & a citizen of this country, I am definitely disappointed. Saliya Pieris is usually known for standing up for people who are disadvantaged or discriminated against, whether it aligns with his personal agenda or not—only he can know. He voiced support for the Aragalaya in many ways & stood by the protesters in every way possible, even tweeting that the occupants of Galle Face Green were forcefully removed in July 2022 when it was only the occupants forcefully occupying the Presidential Secretariat that were cleared. This made international headlines. Even a local newspaper wrote an article about Aragalaya’s Fundamental Right farce & how lawyers distorted facts, mentioning how BASL under his leadership made many attempts to influence the government on the direction it should take. So, I expected someone claiming to be as progressive & daring as him to unequivocally support the Gender Equality Bill, which aims to eliminate gender disparity & protect human dignity irrespective of sex or gender identity, as defined & required by SDG5. But to my surprise, I see him caught between advocating for human dignity & upholding religious practices & traditional gender roles. I hope it’s not political differences keeping him from supporting the bill. If that’s the case, he is allowing his political biases to destroy the progress we women have worked so hard to achieve towards equality, undermined by him, a man. While it’s admirable to speak up if there is a wrong, he must ensure that he gets his law & facts correct before issuing statements. What does he find wrong with the bill? President Wickremesinghe’s speech at the Parliament was part of the checks & balances inherent in a democratic system. He analysed the judgement & outlined the precedents & case law that had not been followed. Critical analysis of judgements takes place all the time; does this mean every academic who does this should be considered a threat to the judiciary? If he believes that a judgement is flawed & distorts universally accepted modern concepts & principles, taking us back to an archaic & prejudicial system that would violate women’s rights, it is within his rights as the President of Sri Lanka & Minister of Women, Child Affairs & Social Empowerment, to seek legislative review & clarification. He clarified during his speech that he was defending parliamentary sovereignty, not attacking the judiciary, which is well within the powers of Parliament under Article 4. His call for a Select Committee with a majority from the women’s caucus is a legitimate means of ensuring that all perspectives are considered, particularly on complex issues like gender equality. The President also clearly stated that this bill doesn’t at all touch on same-sex marriages. We as citizens of Sri Lanka have every right, but don’t talk enough about how these so-called professionals & professional associations twist facts & laws to discredit the country & use their clout in society to push their own interests. For example, JICA & BASL collaborated in tackling bribery & corruption in Sri Lanka earlier this year. Ironically, a few weeks later, we learn that an investigation has been launched into five members of the BASL, including its President, for misappropriating funds earmarked for an anti-corruption initiative funded by JICA. JICA had reportedly allocated Rs. 21 million for the project, with allegations claiming that at least Rs. 19 million were pocketed by the five accused. Is this the only alleged misappropriation of funds by a professional association or professional, or are we to know more? Transparency, accountability, credibility, & moral authority are key to public trust. Without these, how can we as citizens trust blindly what comes from these institutions & people? I think it’s time these institutions & people prove their credibility before voicing any further opinions on what’s being done for the people of this country.

@kanchana_wij "Accordingly the amendments as it is suggested by the Supreme Court will be moved during the committee stage for approval", you have to. Unless you need 2/3.

Ministry of Power & Energy accepts all the amendments suggested by the Supreme Court determination on the Electricity Bill. Most of the amendments were agreed during the Supreme Court hearing on the Electricity sector reforms bill three weeks ago. Accordingly the amendments as it is suggested by the Supreme Court will be moved during the committee stage for approval.

@kanchana_wij "Most of the amendments were agreed during the Supreme Court hearing on the Electricity sector reforms bill three weeks ago" is an utter lie. AG even disagreed with appointing technically qualified persons to the CEO post of the NSO and as the DG of NEAC. 😂

@chamihin @kulanthisilva @SayuriYuri20 CEB should be restructured, period!. Nothing against that.

@isuru_max @kulanthisilva @SayuriYuri20 You may be also acting against one person. But that doesn’t concern us as consumers. This is why I said maybe you should be privatized or restructured whatever. I don’t care as long as I get our services in the right manner.I have read the letter BTW

The selfish actions of a few CEB engineers are causing great inconvenience for all Sri Lankans. This is why the power supply is so irregular these days—they are messing up the country’s restoration of power because they are angry about the CEB being restructured. They are refusing to follow directives and skipping meetings. Isn't it time to sack them, Kanchana!

@chamihin @kulanthisilva @SayuriYuri20 Where in the letter does it say "they will do the minimum of work during this time"? You haven't even bothered to read it but accuse us with false. This non-cooperation is against a single person and the works related to him. It has nothing to do with normal duties.

@kulanthisilva @isuru_max @SayuriYuri20 I think he is saying the letter is not fake but what these unions said was “they will do the minimum of work during this time. “ But if “they will do the minimum of work “ when we are having a severe weather conditions here won’t it inconvenience the consumers?

@chamihin @SayuriYuri20 We apologize for the traffic in the telephone network. When you get 50k plus complaints at once, it's not easy to manage all complaints with only 70+ people.

@isuru_max @SayuriYuri20 Your 1987 hotline doesn’t work. We are constantly getting power cuts. Can you kindly inform us where as consumers complain or may be sue you 😡