PUCSL Chairman ready to go with majority decision if legal remedy fails

PROPOSED SECOND MASSIVE POWER TARIFF HIKE

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Janaka Ratnayake, yesterday said that he would take legal action to protect the independence of the Commission.

Ratanayake said two members of the PUCSL had met President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday (19) and, following the meeting, they had changed their position on the electricity tariff increase, proposed by the Cabinet.

“The President wanted to meet me but I didn’t go. However, he met the other members of the PUCSL and our initial unanimous decision on the tariff hike has changed. Those who met the President now insist that we must allow the tariff hike and alter it in the future. I am going to go before the Court about this, if that doesn’t work out, we have to agree to the majority decision,” he said