Power Crisis: Court issues notice to CEB

The Fort Magistrate's Court today (April 2) issued notice to officials of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to appear in court on April 9 over legal action filed by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the country’s power sector regulator regarding the ongoing power crisis.

By Sandun Jayawardana

Lawyers for PUCSL filed legal action against the CEB on Friday (29) and supported their arguments in court today. Court action was filed after the CEB failed to provide several reports that the CEB is required by law to submit to the regulator, according to PUCSL.

As per Section 15, Sub Section 3 and Section 27, Subsection 3 of the PUCSL Act No 35 of 2002, the CEB is duty bound to provide daily power generation reports to PUCSL. However, no such generation reports have been filed after May 28, 2018, the PUCSL noted.

The legal action is also indirectly related to the ongoing island-wide power cuts imposed by the CEB as such reports are required for the PUCSL to take decisions related to the power situation without them, PUCSL officials stated.