Responding to a question raised by MP Chaminda Wijesiri, the Minister said that the Government will not lease any national land to any other country.

The Minister of Power asserted that it is a national interest to provide electricity to the people in the islands of Jaffna who have been without electricity for a long time and that the Asian Development Bank financially intervened under government supervision and an international tender was called for by ADB.

Mr. Alahapperuma pointed out that the first call for tenders had failed and that the same call had been made again, adding that China and India had submitted bids and China had made the lowest bid. However, the Cabinet has not yet approved it, he said.

Furthermore, answering questions regarding the breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant, the Minister stressed that, had it not been for the construction of this power plant by current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa amidst criticisms, there would have been a serious energy crisis today.

He further explained, dry ash required for the production of cement in Sri Lanka has so far been imported from China, but in future, all the bricks required for the construction of the Colombo Port City will be manufactured from dry ash discarded from the Norochcholai power plant.

According to the Minister, power plants generating electricity from solid waste covering all provinces are planned to be constructed in future and the current Government has initiated a separate Ministry under the patronage of Minister Nalaka Godahewa for waste management.