JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said that the consumers had been compelled by the private electricity companies to pay more than the amount due for using electricity.

Addressing a press conference at Pitakotte yesterday, Dissanayake said that Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) had charged its consumers in excess. He produced several such bills at the conference.

The government handed over a part of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to the LECO, especially in the areas with most number of consumers.

The LECO was established in September 1983 under the Companies Act. LECO now operates in 32 Local Government areas and has grown from 12,000 to over 300,000 customers.

He said that the CEB normally charges a disconnecting processing charge after disconnecting the electricity. But, the LECO had charged a sum of Rs. 800 as the disconnecting processing charge if the consumers delay to pay the bill within 10 days. They add Rs. 800 to the monthly bill each month up to three months and if a after three months the bill is not paid, they disconnect the electricity.

"When the electricity is disconnected, the LECO consumers have to pay all due bills, the late charges, two per cent interest on due bills and a deposit thrice that of the last month’s bill. This is totally against the normal system. The CEB follows the procedures passed by Parliament and LECO also has to follow them. There are no such provisions passed by the Parliament or the director board of the CEB," Dissanayake said.

He said most of the consumers had been affected by the problem and thousands of them had to pay Rs. 800 as processing charges and the deposit for a continued power supply.

Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne told Parliament, when the JVP raised the issue, that it couldn’t be continued and if there was such a practice he promised to stop it immediately, Dissanayake said adding he agreed to refund the Rs. 800 processing charges and the deposit to those who had already paid it.

The JVP MP said that no consumer had yet received the refund. "If LECO charges interest on delayed payments, we too should be paid an interest on our money held by the LECO. We will force the minister to do this."

The Island contacted the Chairman of the LECO, Champani Padmasekera and he referred us to its General Manager Dr. Susantha Perera.

Dr. Perera said that the director board of the LECO decided to refund the Rs. 800 payment for those who had already paid and they would also publish a newspaper advertisement to inform their consumers.

"When LECO members go to disconnect the electricity of customers who are in arrears, we would have to go again if their houses are closed. We have experienced it and have had to go two to three times. Because of that we have to collect a disconnecting processing charge for them without disconnecting the electricity. However, as per the Minister’s decision we have decided to refund the amount. We can’t pay it in cash. We will deduct it from the next month’s light bill," Dr. Perera said.