Illegal power tappers taken to task

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Special Investigation Unit officials collected over Rs. 23.67 million as fines from illegal power tappers during operations carried out throughout the Jaffna district within four days.

The raids were carried out on November 25,26,27 and 28. The fines were made up of Rs 1.26 million as court fines and Rs. 22.41 million as compensation totalling Rs.23.67 million. Around 126 incidents were manipulations of electricity meters and other incidents were illegal connections.

All theses raids were conducted by the CEB Special Investigation Unit under the inspection of Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

This Special Investigation Unit had been established and strengthened to conduct raids for reducing both external and internal malpractices. The CEB had earned nearly Rs.50 million in September and October as fines from illegal power tappers as well.

According to Minister Ranawaka, CEB is deprived of colossal sums due to thefts of power and many other electricity related offences and most of these illegal incidents were reported from the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

‘The Ceylon Electricity Board is currently on the brink of being converted into a vibrant and economically stable public utility,’ he said.

The Power and Energy Ministry called for public help to nab fraudsters who attempt to obtain electricity illegally.

The ministry urged the public to report any such activity forthwith to the authorities on 011-2422259.