Dullas calls CEB to focus on public welfare above profits

• Calls to take measures to prevent power outages in future
• Says Ministry and CEB responsibility to apologise over power failure on Monday
• Scheduled power cuts end a day early as Norochcholai power restored   

The Power Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) should focus on social welfare and provide high quality services to customers above earning profits, as the state-run power monopoly wrapped up countrywide power cuts a day earlier than scheduled. 

Alahapperuma expressed these views during a meeting held at the CEB head office in Fort. During the discussion, measures that are needed to be taken to improve the quality and continued electricity supply were also focused on, the Power Ministry said in statement. 

According to the Power Ministry statement, the Minister had disused the challenges ahead and said action needed to be taken to face those challenges.

Dullas calls...

Special attention was paid to the recent countrywide power outage that had caused inconvenience to electricity consumers throughout the island and the Minister noted that he would hope to take necessary action after receiving the report of the seven member committee appointed to investigate the matter.

Accordingly, Minister Alahapperuma stated that he and the Minister of State looked forward to implementing the measures required for the betterment of the power sector without any hesitation. 

“We all must commit to develop the country and make this a land of prosperity, which is the sole intention of the President.”

“We have to work hard and give our best to attain goals set in the President’s policy statement,” the statement quoted the Minister as saying. The Minister also emphasised that it was the responsibility of the CEB as well as the Ministry to apologise to the people affected by the recent power outage. 

The Power Minister appointed a seven member committee to investigate Monday’s power outage, which resulted in four days of load shedding. Following this, the power outage which happened at the Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) also called for a detailed report from the CEB.