Cost elimination at CEB - Minister

Ananda KANNANGARA

The Power and Energy Ministry on Friday launched a massive cost elimination drive to reduce additional expenses in the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) under a program initiated on a directive by Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne. Minister Seneviratne instructed CEB Chairman E.A.S.K. Edirisingha and the Board of Directors to take immediate measures to reduce overall expenses, incurred by the Board at present. "As the initial step of the program, the production cost to generate electricity, transmit and the distribution process must be reduced forthwith to save a colossal amount of money," Minister Seneviratne told the Sunday Observer.

He said a survey will be carried out in respect of overtime payments of employees for at least another six months, and also the employee recruitment currently being done on contract basis.Minister Senevirtane also focused attention towards high expenses on repairs of CEB vehicles and instructed officials to keep a close tab of such repairs.

The CEB also expects to look into the wastage of electricity due to various reasons such as using unnecessary illuminations on streets even in morning due to negligence by local authorities.However, he assured that additional expenses borne on national development projects such as constructing of the Upper Kotmale Power Plant, Coal Plant in Puttalam and also the Government's novel electricity providing programs, `Lighting Hambantota', `Lighting Ratnapura', `Lighting Tricomalee' and `Lighting Moneragala' will not be affected under any circumstances.