Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has slammed the government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for not going ahead with India's Adani Group's Renewable Energy Project in Mannar.

He expressed his views during a televised discussion on Saturday, and the transcript was released on Monday. He also underlined the importance of Sri Lanka's economic collaboration with India to maximise results for the island nation. Wickremesinghe stated that he prioritized a South Indian-focused economic framework in the fields of agriculture, trade connections, and renewable energy during his two-year term in 2022. "I explored many avenues for economic cooperation with India. Regrettably, the current government has failed to pursue the Adani renewable project in Mannar," he remarked. 

He came down heavily on them for not going ahead with the Renewable Energy Project in Mannar in partnership with the Indian company, Adani. "This would adversely affect all Indian investments," Wickremesinghe said. On February 13, Adani Green Energy, the renewable energy company owned by billionaire Gautam Adani, decided to cancel two planned wind power projects in Sri Lanka. This decision came after the country’s new government chose to renegotiate electricity prices. The company had planned to invest $1 billion in these projects to generate wind energy and build power transmission lines. However, the newly elected government, led by President Dissanayake, aimed to lower electricity costs, leading to a review of the agreement.

Before last year's presidential election, the NPP promised to cancel the Adani renewable project in the northeastern region. However, after coming to power, the NPP Cabinet chose to renegotiate instead. They argued that the purchase price set by the previous Wickremesinghe administration was too high and suggested possible corruption. Adani announced that they are withdrawing from the $400 million project, despite already spending $5 million on it. Meanwhile, President Dissanayake stated that Sri Lanka received bids for renewable energy projects at half the cost of Adani's proposed rate of 8.26 US cents per unit. Wickremesinghe’s remarks on Indian investments are important, especially with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit to Sri Lanka in the first week of April.

When asked if the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme was the only solution for Sri Lanka, the former President stressed that restructuring debt with international bondholders and bilateral creditors would only be possible with an IMF guarantee. "I urge the government to continue the policies introduced by my government. The country is still suffering from the economic crisis. It will face further difficulties if my programme is not completed." Ranil Wickremesinghe became the President during a major economic crisis after the previous President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned due to public protests. The government secured a financial support program from the IMF and started working towards stabilizing the country's economy.