News
CEB admits Mannar Wind Power farm not fully connected to national grid
By Ifham Nizam
The Ceylon Electricity Board engineers had failed to supply the much-needed 100MW from the Mannar Wind Power farm to the national grid and were delaying other projects that are in the pipeline in order to go for expensive emergency power purchases, a senior CEB union leader said.
The CEB Technological Engineers’ and Superintendents’ Union President A.G.U. Nishantha told The Island yesterday that the Mannar plant provided only between 20 and 30MW to the national grid.
“We have some 1,000 engineers but they had failed in their focus in getting the much needed supply,” he added.
When contacted, CEB Chief Vijitha Herath told The Island that they did their utmost as predicted by March due to technical issues, however, stressed that by mid-April remaining 70 per cent would be connected to the national grid.
He also said that they would also cut down on Supplementary Power purchases from 128MW requested last year to about 75MW.
Engineer Herath also expressed confidence that despite the dry period, the country’s reservoir water level was manageable.
Nishantha said that hydro catchment levels had dropped to nearly 20 per cent and the CEB had to cover the shortfall with expensive thermal power.
He also charged that projects were being delayed and cheap power plants were being sidelined, a matter that needed to be discussed at length.
Nishantha stressed that eventually to meet the continuing power demand, the Board would be forced go for additional power purchases at a higher cost.
Dismissing rumours, power sector regulator Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) Chief Janaka Rathnayake assured that there wouldn’t be any blackouts or power shedding in the country despite March and April generally being termed as dry months.
PUCSL Chairman told The Island that there was no drought as such and at present water levels in the reservoirs was manageable. The reservoir capacity stood at 850MWh which was much more than in the previous year.
A senior electrical engineer yesterday said that the problems would arise if the rains failed between May and June over catchment areas.
He also said that the supplementary requirement was about 128MW to be taken from those plants that had been providing power as usual and there is no additional request as such despite the growing energy need between five and six per cent.
CEB earlier this month spelled out the need of the supplementary requirement especially after the Covid pandemic wreaked economic havoc worldwide.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
