A Lankan official has resigned after triggering a massive controversy with his claim that an energy project in Sri Lanka was awarded to industrialist Gautam Adani’s group after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressured President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
MMC Ferdinando, the chairman of Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), quit three days after he claimed to a parliamentary panel that he was told by President Rajapaksa about PM Modi pressuring him to give the wind power project directly to the Adani Group.
President Rajapaksa strongly denied the claim, and a day later, Mr. Ferdinando retracted it.
The senior Sri Lankan official subsequently withdrew the statement and apologized after President Gotabaya himself “vehemently denied” it.
Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said in a tweet on Monday afternoon: “I have accepted the letter of resignation tendered to me by the CEB Chairman Mr. MMC Ferdinando. Vice-Chairman Nalinda Ilangakoon will take over as the New Chairman CEB.”
I have accepted the letter of resignation tendered to me by the CEB Chairman Mr MMC Ferdinando. Vice Chairman Nalinda Ilangaokoon will take over as the New Chairman CEB.
— Kanchana Wijesekera (@kanchana_wij) June 13, 2022
Sri Lankan newspaper The Morning had on Sunday reported: “Ferdinando on Friday told the parliament’s committee on public enterprises (COPE) that the tender for the wind power plant in Mannar had been given to India’s Adani Group as a result of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exerting pressure on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.”
An already embattled Gotabaya had been quick to publicly contradict Ferdinando with a tweet and a statement issued by the President’s office, trying to cap a controversy that could sour relations with the Modi government, which had bailed out Colombo amid a financial crisis.
Re a statement made by the #lka CEB Chairman at a COPE committee hearing regarding the award of a Wind Power Project in Mannar, I categorically deny authorisation to award this project to any specific person or entity. I trust responsible communication in this regard will follow.
— Gotabaya Rajapaksa (@GotabayaR) June 11, 2022
Subsequently, Ferdinando withdrew his statement to the parliamentary panel and apologized unconditionally.
Adani Statement
Adani Group, in a response to the Sri Lanka row, stated that they intend to invest in Sri Lanka and are disappointed by the detraction that seems to have come about.
“Our intent in investing in Sri Lanka is to address the needs of a valued neighbor. As a responsible corporate, we see this as a necessary part of the partnership that our two nations have always shared.
We are disappointed by the detraction that seems to have come about. The fact is that the issue has already been addressed by and within the Sri Lankan Government,” stated an Adani Group spokesperson.
Previous Matters
This is not the first time that entities within the Sri Lankan government had indicated a pro-Adani nudge from the Modi government.
On March 2 last year, while awarding the project to develop the West Container Terminal (WCT) at Colombo port to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ Consortium), the Sri Lankan cabinet had said it was by a proposal submitted by the Indian high commission.
“The proposal presented by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ Consortium) has been approved by the Indian high commission,” the note had said.
India later said the Sri Lankan government had directly engaged with APSEZ Consortium while clearing the proposal to develop the WCT with Indian and Japanese investors.
“Our high commission in Colombo has already conveyed to the Government of Sri Lanka that their media release insofar as the reference to the approval of the high commission was concerned, is factually incorrect,” then external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said.
