The Attorney General has communicated to the Supreme Court that the newly formed Council of Ministers is prepared to reconsider the wind power project proposed by Adani Green Energy in Mannar. This announcement came in response to fundamental rights petitions filed on October 14, which sought to revoke the Cabinet approval granted to the project in the Wedithalathiv area.
During the court proceedings, Deputy Solicitor General Avanti Perera informed the judges that the Council of Ministers had scheduled a review of the project for November 7, 2024. Following this review, a decision regarding the project’s continuation will be made. Perera also stated that the current Interim Council of Ministers had reached this decision and that any future Council of Ministers appointed after the upcoming general elections would be tasked with notifying the final decision.
The Deputy Solicitor General emphasized that the existing status of the project would remain unchanged during this reconsideration phase. In light of this, the petitioners requested the court to permit revisions to their petitions, as the respondents in the case have altered with the establishment of the new government. The Supreme Court agreed to the revisions and directed that any government observations related to the project should be submitted by January 31, 2025. The case is set to reconvene for consideration on March 18 and 19, 2025.
This case stems from five fundamental rights petitions filed by various parties, including the Center for Environmental Justice. The petitions argue that the proposed wind farm poses a substantial threat to ecological biodiversity and the protection of migratory birds. On August 2, the Supreme Court had ordered the named respondents to submit limited objections by August 20 and counter-objections by September 13.
In related news, the National People’s Power (NPP) has vowed to cancel the Adani Group’s wind power project if elected in the presidential elections scheduled for September. However, the newly formed government has indicated its intention to review the agreement with Adani Group, following concerns raised by External Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath regarding electricity price approvals set by the previous administration for Adani Green Energy Limited’s projects.
Minister Herath stated that the new government aims to reassess the deal after the parliamentary elections on November 14. This decision aligns with the campaign promises of newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who labeled the project a threat to Sri Lanka’s energy sovereignty and pledged to annul it. Herath also noted that no significant policy decisions regarding major projects would be made before the parliamentary elections.
