CEB prosecutes 153 power pirates

Earns Rs 10 m as fines:

Rasika SOMARATHNA

The Ceylon Electricity Board(CEB) successfully prosecuted 153 persons for power piracy in January and collected more than Rs 10 million as fines, a Ministry spokesman said.

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has instructed officials to speed up islandwide raids on illegal power-tappers as power piracy has become a major drain on CEB coffers, he added.

The Minister has also requested the public to inform the CEB of any such illegal power tapping on Telephone No. 1987.

According to the spokesman the most popular sources of illegal power tapping are through meter adjustments and making illegal connections by hooking to power lines.

CEB investigative squads have been strengthened under instructions of Minister Ranawaka he said.

The Minister has also instructed officials to be alert malpractices both within and outside the CEB, he added.

According to him the Minister has clearly outlined his intentions to employees on eradicating malpractices and improving efficiency to up CEB revenue and make it a profit making venture.

He expects both the support and commitment of the employees to realise these goals, he said.