By Aisha Edris
Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) trade unions charge that the government has violated the Electricity Act of 1969 by letting the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) manage the Broadlands Hydropower Project.

CEB Joint Trade Union Front Convenor Ananda Nimalaratne told The Nation that the government, through the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA), had given LECO permission to manage the Broadlands Hydropower Project, thus violating the Act.
“The Electricity Act of 1969 says that only CEB can produce hydropower while mini hydropower projects, which only produce lower than 10 megawatts, could be initiated by private companies,” he said.

Nimalaratna added that LECO had submitted the application to start the Broadlands Hydropower Project two weeks ago and that SEA had not called for any tenders. “Without calling for tenders, LECO was given the approval to start the power project,” he said.

He warned that the government had initiated a conspiracy to destabilise the board and to allow private power projects to break the CEB’s monopoly.
“The government has started a conspiracy to destabilise the CEB and to allow private hydropower projects to break the CEB’s monopoly. If it happens, the government will have to face the consequences since the trade unions of CEB will not allow the government to take such decisions,” he warned.

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