BY Niranjala Ariyawansha
The Engineers’ Union of the Ceylon Electricity Board has decided to launch an indefinite island-wide strike until the Government moves to enact the Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion plan (LCLTGEP).
Executive committee member of the Union, Athula Wanniarachchi told Ceylon Today that the decision was taken at the special council meeting last Friday (1), with the participation of over 500 engineers from around the island.
However, a five-member committee, led by the Secretary to the National Policies and Economic affairs, K. D. S. Ruwanchandrage is currently assessing the LCLTGE plan. The appointment was made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last Thursday (31) with the deadline to submit the assessment report set as 22 June.
Wanniarachchi, however, claimed that the committee has been appointed to delay the plan.
He noted that the Prime Minister had agreed to initiate the plan and remove the director general of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, during the 22 May meeting held between the union representatives and President Maithripala Sirisena. President Sirisena, who contacted the Prime Minister over the phone, had claimed that the issue will be resolved in two days.
The Government ,recently, announced that the PUCSL, which was under the Prime Minister’s powers, was transferred to the Project Management, Youth Affairs and Southern Development Ministry. However, it is now reported that the PUCSL has returned to the Prime Minister.
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