‘Team B for World Cup’

Your above-captioned editorial (19/04) is another impartial assessment of affairs of this emerald isle, affecting the peaceful life of citizens. One truthful statement you made In your editorial caught my interest as I have said the same in most of my letters, referring to the Ministry Power – ‘ The previous government was an utter failure, but it had some capable members, who would have performed better if they had been given a free hand. What befell Dallas Alahapperuma is a case in point. The ruling family undermined him at every turn as he overshadowed one of its members in the South. He was removed as the Minister for Power because the Rajapaksas knew he was opposed to the questionable Yugadanavi power plant deal, they brought in a stooge for the job. There were several other ministers ….” To support this statement, I wish to mention a glaring instance where Minister Dallas Alahappeuma who had pledged to turn the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), made representations to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to remove the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) from interfering with the administration of the CEB. Sadly, this directive of the President was overruled by the Prime Minister and the then Minister for Finance, Mahinda Rajapaksa, undermining the authority of the President. Since then, the performance of the CEB had gone from bad to worse to the extent that the CEB has to get approval of the PUCSL for a scheduled power cut. Granting the PUCSL has the authority, can the PUCSL alter the schedule sent by expert knowledgeable engineers of the CEB.

Does the PUCSL have such officers to question, modify or correct the CEB decisions? It would be more appropriate for the CEB to announce the scheduled power cuts, being the direct supplier of electricity to consumers, or the Ministry for Power, as the CEB comes under its purview.

G. A. D. Sirimal