Does the electricity breakdown occur due to an electricity mafia?
Mar 21, 2016
Everybody was aware there was electricity breakdown recently in the island and no institution or the power and energy ministry failed to announce the real cause behind the scene. When a problem like this arises, the relevant institution usually forms a committee and later nobody comes forward to question what happens to the committee and who made the committee report? Finally the only step taken is forming the committee and everybody forgets about the whole matter amid other problems.
Although there were many electricity breakdowns occurred before, none of the time it was revealed what was the cause.
In 2008 during the Sinhala New Year period there was a similar breakdown and the then chairman Udaya Sri Kariyawasam formed a three person committee headed by Professor Kumar David. The committee investigated the breakdown and none of them knew what happened to the report. The results of the committee caused the chairman to lose his post.
When we investigated into the matter we found a large mafia inside the electricity board conspiring the functions. This mafia is such a strong one that neither the relevant minister nor the electricity board chairman cannot control. One such instance is that eleven chairman’s has been appointed from the year 2005 to 2008. This mafia does not allow the chairman to independently conduct his duties but to surrender to this mafia in order to exist in service.
This mafia is started from taking electricity from the small and medium scale power plants to the electricity board. More than hundred such power plants are registered under the electricity board. Although 10 Mega Watt of power is supplied to the national electricity grid, it is impossible to function the national grid without this. Due to this reason the mafia has become powerful.
A group of engineers of the electricity board too has been attached to this mafia which has taken control of the authority in certain sections of the electricity board. For example although a human resource specialist is in charge of the section an electrical engineer has taken control of the department.
In 2008 during the Sinhala New Year period there was a similar breakdown and the then chairman Udaya Sri Kariyawasam formed a three person committee headed by Professor Kumar David. The committee investigated the breakdown and none of them knew what happened to the report. The results of the committee caused the chairman to lose his post.
When we investigated into the matter we found a large mafia inside the electricity board conspiring the functions. This mafia is such a strong one that neither the relevant minister nor the electricity board chairman cannot control. One such instance is that eleven chairman’s has been appointed from the year 2005 to 2008. This mafia does not allow the chairman to independently conduct his duties but to surrender to this mafia in order to exist in service.
This mafia is started from taking electricity from the small and medium scale power plants to the electricity board. More than hundred such power plants are registered under the electricity board. Although 10 Mega Watt of power is supplied to the national electricity grid, it is impossible to function the national grid without this. Due to this reason the mafia has become powerful.
A group of engineers of the electricity board too has been attached to this mafia which has taken control of the authority in certain sections of the electricity board. For example although a human resource specialist is in charge of the section an electrical engineer has taken control of the department.
This mafia from the very outset hindered the committee appointed in 2008 headed by Kumar David. The report which was compiled amid the hindrance was not disclosed and finally the chairman had to leave his post. If the report was released the public had the opportunity to identify how the emergency breakdowns occur, what was the real cause behind the breakdown and who was responsible.
Reports reaching us confirm that the release of the report was obstructed by the stealthy mafia operating underneath.
