July 19, 2013, 8:54 pm


I refer to the news item appearing in the Island on 28th June, 2013 under the heading "Strange order from the C.E.B. top not to run hydro turbines continuously". The news item states inter cilia that "in other words, Board hierarchy is saying no to cheap electricity worth millions of rupees, an official said. The ordinary citizens saddled with the high cost of electricity would, no doubt, have got the shock of their lifetime, by reading this news item. Moreover, in another news item appearing in a Sunday newspaper of June 30, 2013 (Sunday Times), it was stated that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation reported a loss of Rs.89.6 billion while the Ceylon Electricity Board, reported a loss of Rs.61.1 billion for the year, 2012. One need not be an economist to guess as to who is going to bear these losses. Moreover, the Island of 9th July, 2013 reported that a senior electrical engineer with work experience in Sri Lanka and abroad, Mr. Marcus Vincent Romame Perera, had stated that Sri Lankans pay for electricity twice the price in the U.S.A and three times the price in Malaysia, though Sri Lanka has the potential to produce lowest cost electricity in the world by utilizing the lowest coal powered thermal electricity and economical hydro electricity. In fact this patriotic citizen has filed a petition in Supreme Court complaining that the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka and Ceylon Electricity Board are overcharging electricity consumers. Attention in this connection is also invited to the very timely editorial on this matter appearing in the Divaina of 27th June, 2013


Be that as it may, the kind attention of the Ministers in charge of these two institutions is invited to the following articles which appeared in the newspapers in the past.


1. Article appearing in Lakbima of 7th July, 2013 about a Sri Lankan, i.e. Mr. Lakmal Kumara, who planned an electricity generator at the bottom of the sea.


2. Article appearing in the Divaina of 26th June, 2013 about the frustrations of a person — Mr. Rajith Upali Koralaage, who has discovered a system whereby electricity could be produced by wind and sun power and sea waves.


3. Article appearing in Lankadipa of 29th February, 2012 about the science teacher from Medawachchiya, Mr. Nalin Taranga Wijetunge, who has invented a motor car which can be run without fuel, giving all the technical details.


4. Article appearing in the Daily News of 2"d September, 2008 under the heading "Lankan engineer’s solar link for electric cars - Predicts a trillion dollar industry in a few years". The Engineer concerned is Mr. K. C. Somaratna.


5. Article appearing the Sunday Divaina of 5th February, 2006 where an inventor has made a statement that he could give electricity to the country by utilizing sea water. The inventor is Mr. Abdul Majeed Ghouse.


In the current context, it is the bounden duty of the Ministers concerned and of course, the Government, to appoint Technical Evaluation Committees to scientifically analyse the findings referred to in the above articles. Of course, if the Committee is going to be of the opinion that findings are not technically feasible, they should give very valid technical reasons for their conclusions. (Moreover, a precedent has already been created regarding the appointment of Technical Evaluation Committees, wherein such a Committee had been appointed to look into the use of fertilizers) The expenditure of a few lakhs of rupees on such an Evaluation Committee, will be a very negligible amount when compared with the massive losses of these two corporations., amounting to billions of rupees, as indicated above, which could be greatly reduced, if the proposals referred to could be implemented. The entire country burdened with the high cost of electricity is no doubt anxiously awaiting the findings of such Technical Evaluation Committees.


This writer is prepared to submit the photocopies of the articles referred to, if required.


D. Chandrasiri


Unawatuna