India’s Adani Green Energy has expressed its willingness to work with Sri Lanka on proposed renewable energy projects on the same terms decided earlier, a source said.

But Cabinet Spokesman Nalida Jayatissa said a discussion on the deal is possible only after a price revision.

Adani Group last month said it had decided to withdraw its wind power deals with Sri Lanka, after Colombo’s recently elected government demanded to lower the price.

The new government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had demanded Adani to reduce per kilowatt-hour (KWH) to 6 US$ cents from 8.26 US$ cents, decided under the previous government.

“This is the same as our earlier communication,” said a source, who is privy to the latest correspondence between the Sri Lanka government and Adani company.

“We have written to the Sri Lanka government that we are willing to work on the same terms as earlier.”

The source said the company has responded to the Sri Lanka government via a letter on its stance.

“Our position is same as before. We are available to implement the project at the earlier agreed tariffs.”

Adani Green Energy was to invest $442 million to build two wind power stations in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province after protracted discussions to establish the 484 MW renewable energy wind farms at Mannar and Pooneryn, along with its associated Transmission system.

The government has revoked Adani project proposal’s earlier tariff. Sri Lanka’s Cabinet last year approved a 8.26 cents per unit tariff for the 484MW project, triggering a controversy over the price and court litigation by activists. Adani’s projects have also run into controversy after activists went to courts over possible impact on the environment and higher tariff.

Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa also said there was no change in the government’s stance on Adani deal.

“The government’s stance on Adani’s project has not changed yet,” he said.

“We are open for investment. If Adani brings suitable investments for us, we are ready to discuss. But the government has an opinion on the (unit) price in the proposed wind power project. It is high.”

“Our request is that the price revision should happen. If they come up with price revision, we can discuss. If they are not ready for price revision, then they can take a decision to give up the project.”

“It does not mean that all the investors coming to Sri Lanka are leaving. Whoever the investor, if the burden can’t be borne by us and if the government has to pass that burden to the people, then the government will take a decision with regard to this.”

He said President Dissanayake clearly told this when he went to India.

Adani’s announcement of withdrawal came after that.

“If they come up with price revision, we are ready to discuss. We don’t depend on one company or one country. We will discuss and decide everything depending on the benefits to the public. We don’t have any other interests,” Jayatissa, also the Minister of Health and Media, said.

Sri Lanka court has yet to decide on the legal cases.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is expected to visit Sri Lanka early next month will participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the ground mounted solar project in Sampur in the Western Province, Daily Mirror learns.

The Indian leader is expected to arrive in the country on April 4 for a two-day visit at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The President extended the invitation during his first state visit to New Delhi in December, last year.

Energy connectivity, including the interconnection of the two power grids, is among matters envisaged in the joint statement between the two countries issued after the conclusion of the visit.

Emphasising the need for reliable, affordable and timely energy resources for ensuring energy
security and meeting basic needs of the people, both leaders underscored the importance of
strengthening cooperation in the energy sector and facilitation towards timely implementation of ongoing energy cooperation projects between India and Sri Lanka.

In this regard, the leaders agreed to: take steps towards the implementation of the solar power project in Sampur and further augment its capacity as per the requirements of Sri Lanka, according to the joint statement The Sampur solar project will be implemented as a joint venture between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India.

The Cabinet clearance has already been given for the power purchasing agreement. The power, to be generated,will be purchased at a little over five US cents per unit. It will be a 120 Megawatt power plant.The Indian Prime Minister arrived in Sri Lanka for the first time during first tenure in office in 2015.

During that visit that took place during the time of the Yahapalana government, he discussed the need for the development of Trincomalee as a petroleum hub. Later, in May, 2017, he arrived in Sri Lanka to participate in the International Vesak Day celebration.

The Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has uncovered a major money laundering operation tied to a Sri Lankan casino, allegedly used by Indian billionaires to launder undisclosed earnings.

The operation, involving a travel agency called Hamoos Travels, has raised alarms within the Indian intelligence community and law enforcement agencies.

Reports indicate that Hamoos Travels, a company offering services for Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka, has been facilitating money laundering activities.

What started as a typical travel agency with flight and hotel booking services has reportedly expanded to offer access to Sri Lankan casinos, where payments for gambling can be made directly in India.

This has made the casino a popular choice for laundering black money from India.

The casino linked to Hamoos Travels is owned by a prominent Sri Lankan business tycoon, and its role in the laundering scheme is central.

The first phase of the operation involves transferring large sums of black money from India to the casino.

Once the money arrives, an agent travels to Sri Lanka to gamble.

The agent receives a substantial portion—about 80%—of the transferred amount as “winnings.” The remaining 20% is kept by the casino as commission for facilitating the laundering process.

This illicit operation, which has been ongoing for several years, drew the attention of Indian intelligence agencies due to the increasing number of Indian nationals reportedly receiving large casino winnings in Sri Lanka.

RAW launched an investigation and discovered that all of the casino winnings being transferred from Sri Lanka originated from a single casino.

RAW subsequently accessed the casino’s data, revealing that none of the individuals involved were genuine winners.

According to financial intelligence, the winnings were merely part of the laundering scheme, with the 20% commission going to the casino while the rest was funneled back to the launderers as “winnings.”

Based on this intelligence, Indian authorities have launched a major operation. The employees of Hamoos Travels attached to its Sri Lankan operations were arrested, including 65 individuals. Among those arrested are a number of Sri Lankan women.

In response to this operation, the Indian government has issued a warning to its citizens, advising them not to visit Sri Lanka to gamble in casinos.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan casino industry is reeling from the fallout.

Casinos that once saw large numbers of Indian nationals visiting in groups have seen a sharp decline in business.

One employee of a major Sri Lankan casino revealed that the number of Indian gamblers, who previously numbered over 150 each weekend, has now dropped to zero.

In a statement, an official from the Indian Embassy’s Commercial Section said that the Indian government will engage in diplomatic discussions with the Sri Lankan government to address the situation.

The casino in question has already begun to feel the financial impact, laying off a significant number of staff and announcing plans to close one of its major properties in April.

District Returning Officers, Deputy and Assistant Returning Officers were summoned by the Election Commission to discuss the upcoming Local Government Elections.

During the meeting, extensive discussions were held regarding the process of accepting nominations, according to National Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake.

He emphasized that the acceptance of nominations is the first step in the election process.

As of now, 57 independent groups have deposited their security deposits for 168 local government institutions. Additionally, 18 political parties have also made their deposits.

The nomination acceptance process is scheduled to commence on March 17th.