Minister of Power and Energy and Secretary General of the UPFA Susil Premajayantha yesterday (8) said the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board, by splitting it into nine companies, has been put on hold, but the coal power plant at Norochcholai would go ahead as planned.

He said the government would discuss this matter with the CEB unions after they send in their alternative proposals on the restructuring policy adopted by the previous UNF government.

Premajayatha said it would be possible to iron out any differences of opinion and reach an acceptable solution as the government had also taken note of the protest against the restructuring program by the CEB Engineers Union and was going ahead with the proposed Upper Kotmale hydro power plant project.

He also said Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, who was currently in Japan, will be negotiating with the Japanese government for soft term repayment loan to go ahead with these two power plants.

The government was also having an alternative financing prospect in case Japan was not able to finance the two power plants as there was hope the Government of China would agree to grant a loan on soft terms, he said.

The President, CEB Engineers Union, Ananda Nimalsiri yesterday charged that the government was only trying to split the CEB into nine companies without taking steps to increase the capacity of the national grid which was the feasible alternative to cure the ills of the CEB.

He said splitting the CEB into nine companies would only increase the overheads and increase the cost of an electricity unit to the consumer and it would serve any purpose other than heap burdens on the consumers. He said if the government went ahead with the restructuring process without consulting the trade unions, they would resort to trade union action.