Power cuts like kissing goes by favour

By Ifham Nizam

The CEB will not able to produce adequate amounts of electricity to end load shedding, despite assurances given by the President and Prime Minister that there won’t be power shedding after tomorrow (March 5).

“There is no way that the power plants can produce adequate amounts of electricity,” Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Joint Trade Union Alliance Convener Ranjan Jayalal said.

Responding to The Island on the countrywide power cuts, Jayalal said that the power cuts were are being implemented in an ad-hoc manner.

“The CEB has divided the country into A,B,C,D,E,F zones but nobody seems to know what they are. Some areas are experiencing power cuts every day while others do not. Its total chaos,” he said.

Jayalal also blamed the electricity sector regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL). “PUCSL said it would not allow power cuts. Now, it does as the CEB says. I am afraid power cuts will continue after Saturday. The PUCSL, CEB and the government will just come up with some lame excuse.”

The crisis was exacerbated by two ministers who had no knowledge of the subject, the trade unionist said.

CEB Vice Chairman Nalinda Illangakoon yesterday said that despite challenges, the CEB would ensure continuous power supply. He said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said there would be ample stocks of fuel to generate power without interruptions.

“If we get fuel, we can guarantee that there will be no power cuts.

A seven and a half hour power cut will take place today as well. However, there were power cuts lasting more than 10 hours in several parts of the country, he said.