LECO Panadura branch flouts Minister's directive

Despite Minister of Power and Energy W. J. M. Seneviratne directing Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) to refund wrongfully claimed amounts from consumers as 'late payment charges', LECO continues to turn a deaf ear to a controversy that even became a hot topic in Parliament recently when the Minister first directed LECO to rectify this illegal charge in the wake of several protests.

A case in point was when a consumer, Gamini Rupasinghe of Walana, Panadura was illegally charged Rs. 800 as a 'late payment charge' and 2

percent commission of Rs. 32. The manager concerned refrained from complying with the directive by the Minister.

Rupasinghe had written to the LECO Manager of the Panadura branch along with a copy of the Minister's directive to the branch to refund, the illegal charge but there was no response.

Subsequently, Rupasinghe had no alternative but to report the matter again to the Minister.

The Rs. 800 'late payment' charge by LECO in connection with disconnection of power supply without issuing a final red bill notice and the 2 percent interest is in contravention of the Electricity Act under Section 49 (1) as set out in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 1572/25 dated October 24, 2008 which categorically prohibits such charges under the following clauses;

(1) 30 days 'credit' period after issuing the bill.

(2) 2 percent interest claimable only if a disconnection order is issued.

The wide ranging protests against LECO is that it has implicity failed to comply with the regulations set out in the Gazette Extraordinary.