Minister Kanchana slammed over ‘mud-slinging’ campaign targeting CEB staff

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has accused Sri Lanka’s Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera of attempting to generate public anger towards CEB and its staff, as part of what they claim is his “ongoing efforts to harass CEB staff to position himself as a hero in the eyes of the public”.

Responding to a recent claim made by the Minister on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), alleging that the CEB had provided financial facilities to the tune of Rs. 12 billion to it employees, the CEB Engineers’ Union highlighted that “CEB staff, like other employees in both public and private sector institutions, including LECO and PUCSL, do enjoy benefits beyond their basic salary”.

Accusing the Minister of carrying out a ‘mud-slinging’ campaign, CEB condemned Minister Wijesekera’s for treating CEB employees like ‘criminals’.

Responding further to Minister Wijesekera’s claims that two-thirds of the employees’ loan interests are paid by CEB, the trade union claimed that the relevant approach is ‘similar to other institutions directly providing concessional loans to staff using their own funds’. 

“The scheme of reimbursing only two-thirds of the interest has been considered more beneficial to CEB than giving the entire loan using its funds, as it allows the organization to save funds for other essential development purposes”, the statement further read in this regard.

On 20 January, Minister Wijesekera revealed that two-thirds of the employees’ loan interest paid by the CEB is recovered from consumer tariffs, and that financial facilities amounting to Rs. 12 billion are granted to the employees.

Attached below is the full statement issued by the CEB Engineers’ Union:

CEBEU Statement by Adaderana Online on Scribd