Scrap PUCSL; Avoid darkness
I have been persistently and repeatedly requesting the scrapping of Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL), for the simple reason, its inter-references with, especially the Ceylon Electricity Board [CEB] and objecting to the Coal Power Project, included in the Least Cost, Long Term Generation Plan, prepared by experts, taking into consideration all factors, both local, foreign, its own organisation and consumers. If the plan of the CEB was accepted, we would not have faced these miserable power cuts, taking advantage of the provision in the Paris Accord, where we had the “right to revise the intended national contributions and targets at any point of time and consider the INDCS to be a living document that should be integrated with changed/modified national development goals and targets”.
Further, advertisements appear from PUCSL, calling for tenders to shift electric posts, a task which the CEB and LECO did efficiently.the most hilarious recent one was, requesting consumers to inform PUCSL of power interruptions, when the usual practice was to contact the local depot of CEB or LECO, trespassing on to the private domain of citizens. Is that also included in the PUCSL Act to harass the consumers.
This is a clear case of PUCSL usurping the duties of CEB and the Minister. In utter desperation, a newspaper report states CEB has arranged for an alms-giving at Mousakelle to invoke divine power – Rain God to come down with torrential rains. This sounds to me, is a defeatism with no self reliance to tackle the problem. Even if one believes in divine power, will the divine power encourage and save the crooks who willingly perpetuated this crisis.?
Since the reshuffle of Ministers in 1988, who did not understand this vital subject and took upon themselves the responsibility. One thing that flourished was Bribery, Corruption, fraud and inefficiency, luring the Public Officers, to tow the line.
The Board of Directors of the CEB should in all earnestness, prevail upon the Minister to have at least CEB excluded from PUCSL, strangulation, else the Ministry, the Board of Directors of CEB, will merely stand as effigies [Pambayas] drawing high salaries and perks.
G.a.d.sirimal Boralesgamuwa
Since the reshuffle of Ministers in 1988, who did not understand this vital subject and took upon themselves the responsibility