The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill.

¶ 02 Amending laws in response to evolving economic challenges is important, but those amendments must bring tangible benefits to the people. Whether private or state participation increases, we welcome measures that provide consumer concessions and reliable, uninterrupted supply.

¶ 03 During the economic crisis, power shortages caused major issues: factories, government institutions, even hospitals struggled. Does this Bill include incentives to promote solar power? Are there concessions enabling people to adopt it?

¶ 04 In Batticaloa and wider North and East, there are difficulties in accessing solar: though prices have fallen, battery-backed solar and diesel-based generation remain costly; solar is cheaper, yet in Batticaloa many face obstacles — inadequate equipment and transformers. For new solar connections, three-phase supply is often required; are there solutions in this Bill for such practical hurdles? Many seek this service, yet getting generation connected via the CEB faces severe delays. Installing transformers takes too long; three-phase is given in restricted ways.

¶ 05 Also, for new household connections, people must now pay at least Rs. 40,000 if the service point is within 50 metres; beyond that, much more. Previously, there was a 30-metre concession — e.g., 10 families could together get 300 metres of line. That has changed. If a residence is beyond 50 metres from a service point, ordinary families cannot afford it. Will this Bill address such issues?

¶ 06 In many places, poles remain in the middle of widened roads as development proceeds, since removing them requires additional funds from road or local authorities. Can the Bill provide solutions and coordination for such relocations?

¶ 07 In our area, there are vacancies in CEB posts, inadequate staffing and facilities; many divisions do not even have dedicated CEB buildings, forcing frequent office moves. While the Government says the base number of CEB employees will be protected, are there plans to deploy adequate staff where needed and recruit where necessary?

¶ 08 In war-affected and infrastructure-poor areas, floods and disasters hinder access for CEB staff, making supply maintenance difficult. Will the Bill practically help ensure steady supply and services under such conditions?

¶ 09 Even when people in our district pay Rs. 40,000 for a basic connection, continuity of service remains problematic. Some families are very backward; they face great difficulties obtaining electricity or solar options, with equipment and transformers unavailable and three-phase lines lacking. These problems are worse in the North and East. I urge you to pay special attention and provide solutions. Thank you.