Minister of Power, Dullas Alahapperuma recently instructed CEB officials to remove utility poles erected in an ad hoc manner and paint them white to prevent motorists from crashing into them at night. CEB officials have been instructed to hold discussions with Road Development Authority (RDA) officials on the matter.

These instructions were given at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Power, when members told Alahapperuma that utility poles tended to stay where they were even when roads are widened. These poles that remain precariously at the edge of the road had led to many accidents, they said. They also pointed that these poles needed to be painted white to make them visible at night.

The committee also urged Minister Alahapperuma to investigate whether there had been any irregularities when procuring solar panels by the Ministry and the reasons for frequent power outages.