|
| Prof.
G. L. Peiris, Minister of Constitutional Affairs and Industrial Development called on Most
Ven. Rambukwella Sri Vipassi Mahanayake Thera of Kandy Malwathu Chapter Maha Vihara on
last Sunday and also Most Ven. Udugama Saddha Keerthi Rathanapala Buddharakkhita Maha
Nayake Thera of Kandy Asgiriya Chapter. The Minister explained to the two Most Ven. Maha Nayake Theros about the new Programme of Activities concerned with extension of Government Assistance to safeguarding Small and Medium Scale Industries. The two Most Ven. Maha Nayake Theros pronounced that this Programme of Activities is most opportune and also conveyed to the Minister that Blessings of Maha Sangha will prevail in this respect. Picture shows Prof. G. L. Peiris in conversation with Most. Ven. Nayake Thero of Malwatta Chapter M/s. Vijaya Wickremaratne, Presidential Attorney-at-Law and Thilak Devagiri Bandara, Deputy Trustee also participated in this occasion. |
CEBEU alleges chairman built luxury bungalow costing Rs.
45m
Take preventive measures or face grave situation. CEB engineers warn
by Dilanthi Jayamanne
If preventive measures are not taken to resolve the prevailing power crisis the
country will have to face a worse situation than it did in 1996, Chairman of the Ceylon
Electricity Board Engineers Union (CEBEU), Susantha Perera said at a press conference held
Tuesday. "We have nothing against the reasons that were given by the Chairman of the
CEB last Wednesday but we feel that the CEB has not taken the necessary measures to
counter the power crisis," he said.
"At the end of 1999 the CEB had a bank balance of Rs. 3075 million at the People’s Bank the CEBEU Chairman said. He added that the situation had changed by the end of year 2000 as the CEB had been operating on a Rs. 4,000 million overdraft by then. He went on to say that the CEB had been warned by its finance manager that by the end of year 2001 its overdraft would increase up to rupees 18 billion.
"The CEB buys electricity at Rs. 12 from hired emergency generating plants, but its average selling price is only about Rs. 4.50," Perera said. He said that the loss incurred by this is about Rs. 11 million per day.
CEBEU Chairman said that the loss was due to bad administration on the part of the CEB Chairman and the board. "We do not believe that the power crisis which the country is facing at present could be solved by increasing the price of electricity by 25 percent," he said.
The union alleged that with all the mismanagement that took place within the CEB the Chairman and the board continued to enjoy a very luxurious life at the expense of the CEB. They alleged that the Chairman had built a luxury bungalow exclusively for his use spending Rs. 45 million. "This was done under a false pretext of the Samanalawewa reservoir.
They further said that the newly appointed Working Director had spent over one million rupees for carrying out interior decorations for his office. "The Chairman’s statement that this amount is negligible for the CEB which deals in billions is only an insult to the average consumers who finds it difficult to pay their monthly electricity bills," the union’s chairman said.