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The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has directed the Ceylon Electricity Board to refrain from submitting requests of approval for scheduled power cuts till 17 February and to provide uninterrupted power supply till the aforesaid period.
The new direction came following the CEB requesting the PUCSL approval for the power interruption schedule for yesterday.
In a letter addressed to the CEB Additional General Manager Transmission yesterday, the PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake informed the CEB that the Commission will not approve any scheduled power interruptions from 26 January till 17 February 2023 to safeguard the human rights of the 331,709 candidates who sit for the GCE Advanced Level Examination.
The new request by the CEB came after the PUCSL, Power and Energy Ministry and CEB gave an undertaking on Wednesday to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to “not to impose power cuts until 17 February” by when the G.C.E. Advanced Level exams will be over.
The letter also noted that the Commission has approved all the requests made by the CEB for the scheduled power interruption made from 18 February to 25 February 2023 under Condition 30(10) of Electricity Transmission and Bulk Supply License No. EL/T/09-002.
The PUCSL also warned the CEB that it will be legally held responsible for violating Condition 30(10) of Electricity Transmission and Bulk Supply License No. EL/T/09-002, if the power interruptions are imposed during the aforesaid period.
Despite the commitment to the HRCSL, the power cuts were carried out on Thursday after which the PUCSL Chairman Ratnayake wrote to the Human Rights Commission notifying that it will take legal action against CEB as per the PUCSL Act over the failure to abide by its undertaking.