Never a day passes without power failures in my area and so is in other areas — Kandy, Kalutara, Kiribathgoda, Moratuwa — a few places I have visited. These power failures are of varied durations, from a few minutes to hours. One wonders whether this is really a ‘Power Cut’ under the guise of power failure, disconnections for routine maintenance etc, terminologies perhaps coined by the CEB to safeguard the good name of the minister, who pompously declared that there will be no ‘power cuts’ after June, 2002. Whatever it be, to the ordinary man it is simply ‘No electricity’.

Apart from the agonising power failures or power cuts, comes an alarming statement made by the President of the Electricity Board Engineers Union, Dr. Susantha Perera who said "The Board is in total disaster with no decisions made at Board level. Even vital Board decisions are not being made due to lacking in permanent Chairman. The present Acting Chairman does not even have the time to go through vital documents due to his other occupations.

This situation should not be allowed to fester any longer in this vital organisation which plays a very important role in country’s development and well being of the people. It is therefore suggested, as a suffering consumer, that a high powered committee is appointed, consisting of Economists, Electrical Engineers, proven administrators and whom ever the government decides, to go into the question of eradicating the maladies and restructure the Board to serve the people and the country, which the CEB officials are eager, but with no support from decision makers.

As all the major generation projects, coal, hydro are stalled due to various reasons, it will take years to implement them may be 10 - 15 years. it is suggested that the Minister acts immediately to grant licences to the Local Authorities, Provincial Councils, Pradeshiya Sabhas, TCC, UCC as done in the past, to generate electricity to cater to local areas coming under their control. In fact the needs of the local residents, whose garbage disposal, road maintenance, etc. are already looked after by Local bodies. They may either, instal power plants with their own funds or invite private sector.

This will relieve the national grid to a great extent as almost 50 percent of the installed capacity is used up by Domestics, Religious and General purpose consumers (Domestic 33.7 percent , Religious purpose 0.6 percent and General purpose 16.4 percent). If this slice is handed over to the Local Authorities or the Private sector, the CEB could concentrate on major industrial and commercial sectors. If action is taken on this suggestion the results could be seen within an year as installation of small units does not take long periods.

It is interesting and laudable that the Minister for Power and Energy, has taken great pains to manoeuvre the Kotmale Hydro Power Project much against a prominent Minister and the Mahanayake thera of the Malwatte Chapter, in appointing a special committee to allay the fears and give assurances that no harm would be done. It is strange that the same minister had not taken the same steps on Norochcholai Coal Project when all experts, consultants the public had urged the construction of this plant.

The other baffling question is why the Bishop of Chilaw who makes a vehement protest, agreed to have an independent consultant (M/s Ramboll) if he was not willing to accept the verdict? Although the public cannot expect a reply from either the minister or the Bishop, certain doubts will remain mysterious.
G. A. D. Sirimal
Boralesgamuwa