by Dilanthi Jayamanne
The Ceylon Electricity Board(CEB) will continue with the one hour power cut till Saturday(January 19), a CEB spokesman told ‘The Island,’ yesterday. He said that they were doing their best to maintain the one hour schedule because the CEB and the Ministry of power and Energy realised how difficult the power cut situation was for the people.

The power cuts which were increased up to four hours towards the latter part of last year was reduced to 45 minutes owing to the general elections which was held last month.

The CEB reintroduced the one hour power cut at the beginning of this year increasing the people’s fear that they would have to go back to the hours of darkness which brought out the kerosene, hurricane lamps, petromax and emergency lamps as well as the generators.

The Minister of Power and Energy, Karu Jayasuriya pledged that he would put an end to the power crisis within six month or resign from his ministerial post.

The government invoked electricity regulations of 1996 to prohibit the use of power from the national grid for specific non essential uses.

It warned consumers that anyone who flouts the provisions would have their electricity supplies disconnected.