PUC launches safety programs for schools and public

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Dr. Costa also said the PUC also hopes to conduct such a program in all schools in the country during the next few months.

He also highlighted the recent program at Tangalle and said the PUC donated electrical equipment to several schools and also repaired installations.

Referring to the PUC he said that the main purpose of establishing the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is to investigate complaints made by electricity consumers and also to provide an efficient service. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka which was established by Parliamentary Act No. 35 of 2002 is now functioning as a safety regulatory body on electricity and petroleum industries in the country.

The PUC was established in 2002 as a multi-sector body to regulate three main infrastructure industries in the country.

"In addition to electricity and petroleum industries, the PUC is also empowered to regulate the water supply industry."

He said among the three infrastructure industries, the PUC has focused its main attention on providing a better service to 4.5 million electricity consumers in the country, considering that electricity has become vital to nation building and also economic development in the country.

"We always admire complaints, made by consumers and take immediate action to respond to them and finally to fulfil their requirements".

"During the past ten years we received over 600 complaints on power failures, unsafe electrical installations, bad wiring at public institutions and private places, incorrect meter readings, disconnections without prior notices etc".

He said the PUC always takes immediate action on complaints and make on the spot investigations within a short period.

"Tapping electricity is illegal and it has become a menace to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB)," he said.

He said the PUC very often receives complaints on power pirates and our team of officials who are deployed to carry out this task do an invaluable service to nab these unscrupulous elements.

"Unlike in the past, when there were lots of underworld gangs who were engaged in illegal power tapping, now we receive only a few complaints due to stern action taken by the law enforcement officers to eliminate them".

He said although the Government provided an uninterrupted power supply to the Northern Region during the terror period, many residents, especially in LTTE controlled areas did not settle their electricity bills and the CEB lost millions of rupees.

"But now the situation has changed, especially after ending the war. The residents are now settling their electricity bills properly".

He said in addition to ongoing activities, the PUC also conducts workshops and awareness programs to educate electricity consumers and school children on how to save electricity.

"Saving electricity by the general public is an immense need and only a few of them know the importance of saving electricity".

"We educate the public how to do proper wiring and the importance of replacing old wiring networks".

He said many schools and public offices in the country still have old wiring and it must be replaced.

"Not only that, the people must also use the latest electrical equipment that needs low voltage".

Referring to the importance of using CFL bulbs, Dr. Costa urged people to use good quality CFL bulbs as there are inferior quality ones in the open market today.Dr. Costa also said the PUC received a number of complaints that many traders sell CFL bulbs which are not manufactured up to standards.

"However, we have taken action against such traders".

He said it is the duty of the general public to refrain from buying such low quality CFL bulbs which do not save energy and also anybody could complain against such traders to the nearest CEB customer service centres.

He also mentioned about the functioning of mini-hydro projects in Sri Lanka and said that our country has over 100 mini-hydro power projects at places such as Galle, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Deniyaya.

"We have been empowered to give licences to people who start mini-hydro power projects in their areas to provide electricity at cheap rates. Dr. Costa also said that the PUC expects to introduce new standards for lubricant oil related products as some of them sold in the markert at present do not conform to proper standards.

**********

A massive program on 'Safety of Internal Electrical Installations' at public school buildings in the country has been launched by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), considering that electrical installations in some school buildings have not been installed properly.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer, PUC Chairman Dr. Jayatissa de Costa, a diploma holder at National Regulatory Research Institution in USA, said that as the initial step of the program the PUC conducted an inspection program in schools at Tangalle and found that almost all schools in the district need proper electrical installations and also repairs with new electrical equipment.

**********