All trade unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board including the Engineers Union yesterday expressed concern about the recent move by the Power and Energy Ministry to handover the 27 MW project in Moragolla to Lanka Electricity Company.

CEB’s Joint Trade Front ?the union along with the Engineers Union that stayed away at the recent strike action- yesterday in a letter to Power and Energy Minister W D J Seneviratne inquired on what basis the Ministry is planning to give the 27 MW project to LECO. Senior sources said that LECO 25 years in distribution has no power for electricity generation.

Joint Trade Union’s Convener Ananda Nimalaratne told The Island yesterday: "We had categorically told the Minister that if the 27MW project is given to LECO then we have no choice but to stick to trade union action."

He said CEB is the main body which involved in almost all the projects and cost wise too CEB is far cheaper than any other company or institution.

Citing examples, he said CEB took a cable project at cost of Rs. 400 million when the minimum quoted was Rs. 6000 million and when an Indian firm recently dumped a cable project in Kerawalapitiya it was the CEB that took it up.