Apr 04, 2013 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's power utility should stop subsidizing places of religious worship which had their own methods of deriving income and some were operating commercial businesses, respondents at a hearing on a tariff hike said.
Ranatunga said people may not object to subsidized power being used for strictly charitable purposes but not for other activities. He said there was at one time a report of a piggery being run with the low tariff. "We propose to impose a limit to the number of units linked to the registered occupants," he said.
Other respondents said tuition classes were being held at places of worship.
"We let lights burning at places of worship from six in the evening till morning," P Padukka representing a regional consumer society in Rathnapura said.
"At other places there are classes in the day time and also in the night. But they are charged a subsidized rate and they earn a lot of revenues through that. But the CEB makes losses.
"I propose that a fixed amount be even given free but to charge the rest at commercial rates so that they will be incentivized to conserve power."
"Places of worship are given power at very low rates and I do not think it is fair for other people to bear that burden," Keerthi Kariyawasam, a representative of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party said. "Places of religious worship have different ways of being maintained."
He was among nearly 100 respondents who made submissions at a hearing called by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka on a proposed tariff hike by the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board.
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a left leaning socialist party.
Unlike parties which are backed by the religious right and sometimes turn fascist-nationalist, socialists do not use religion to gain power, and have frequently been at odds with the Church in Europe where they originated.
Place of religious worship and charities gets unlimited units of electricity at around 7.0 rupees a unit based on proposed tariffs with the first 30 units as low as 1.90 rupees compared to an average cost of 20 rupees.
"This subsidized rate of 7 per unit is given for unlimited number of units; which can be used for non-charitable purposes and also lead to excessive waste," Jayantha Ranatunga, who chairs a consumer consultative committee said.
Other respondents said tuition classes were being held at places of worship.
"We let lights burning at places of worship from six in the evening till morning," P Padukka representing a regional consumer society in Rathnapura said.
"At other places there are classes in the day time and also in the night. But they are charged a subsidized rate and they earn a lot of revenues through that. But the CEB makes losses.
"I propose that a fixed amount be even given free but to charge the rest at commercial rates so that they will be incentivized to conserve power."
"Places of worship are given power at very low rates and I do not think it is fair for other people to bear that burden," Keerthi Kariyawasam, a representative of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party said. "Places of religious worship have different ways of being maintained."
He was among nearly 100 respondents who made submissions at a hearing called by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka on a proposed tariff hike by the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board.
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is a left leaning socialist party.
Unlike parties which are backed by the religious right and sometimes turn fascist-nationalist, socialists do not use religion to gain power, and have frequently been at odds with the Church in Europe where they originated.
Place of religious worship and charities gets unlimited units of electricity at around 7.0 rupees a unit based on proposed tariffs with the first 30 units as low as 1.90 rupees compared to an average cost of 20 rupees.
"This subsidized rate of 7 per unit is given for unlimited number of units; which can be used for non-charitable purposes and also lead to excessive waste," Jayantha Ranatunga, who chairs a consumer consultative committee said.