By Ifham Nizam

Celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the Ceylon Electricity Board, yesterday Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said that everybody should be proud about the service it had rendered to the nation, especially in maintaining low tariffs to consumers despite high cost of power generation.

Addressing the gathering at the CEB Headquarters in Colombo, Lokuge said by giving the country the first coal fired power plant at Norochcholai in 2014, then President Mahinda Rajapaksa reduced the electricity tariff by 25 per cent.

“No matter how much the cost of generation has increased since then, we have not passed on that burden to consumers,” he stressed.

However, he said that at present there was some controversy in the country about electricity. The country was currently in a state of severe economic instability in the face of the Covid-19 afflicting the whole world.

“As a government we have been able to maintain the welfare measures to the people to the maximum extent possible. Also, as a government, we will continue to act as agreed with the Ceylon Electricity Board, Lokuge said adding that the CEB’s efforts to light up the entire country should be appreciated.

The Minister said that when he contested the first election in 1983, the main demand of every village was electricity and now the situation had changed after providing electricity to the whole country. Today, those who were making an unnecessary noises in the country regarding the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant had not raised any voice regarding the Kelanitissa Power Plant which was controlled by the US Government for a long time, he said.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also praised the CEB in a congratulatory message on its commitment to a power-hungry Sri Lanka. The message was presented to the ceremonial assembly.

Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy P. Wickramasinghe, Hemantha Samarakoon, Secretary to the State Ministry of Solar Wind and Hydro Generation Project Development and many other senior officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy and the CEB also spoke.

CEB Deputy General Manager (Personnel) Palitha Perera, delivered the welcome address. CEB Chairman M. M. C. Ferdinando. Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy P. Wickramasinghe, Hemantha Samarakoon, Secretary to the State Ministry of Solar Wind and Hydro Generation Project Development addressed the gathering.