Power pirates cough up Rs.21.3 m

Ridma Dissanayake

The Ceylon Electricity Board Special Investigations Unit officials have collected over Rs. 21.3 million as fines imposed on power pirates during operations carried out throughout the island last month. This amount was made up of Rs.3.2 million as court fines and Rs.18.1 million as compensation, totaling Rs. 21.3 million.

About 263 incidents of power piracy have been reported and 181 out of these were electricity meter manipulations. All raids were conducted by the CEB Special Investigations Unit under the direction of Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

The Special Investigations Unit had been established and strengthened to conduct raids to reduce both external and internal malpractices. The Power and Energy Ministry has already implemented a number of power conservation programmes including "Today for Tomorrow" ( Heta Wenuwen Ada ).

According to Minister Ranawaka a colossal amount of income is deprived to the CEB due to thefts of power and many other electricity related malpractices.

All measures are in place to disconnect illegal power lines from next month and to ensure no reconnection of these illegal lines, he said.

The CEB is currently on the thresh hold of being converted into a vibrant and economically stable public utility, he further added.

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

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