Parliamentary debate on proposal to remove PUCSL chief today

The Members of Parliament will debate today (May 24) on the address to remove Janaka Ratnayake, the chairman of Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), from the institution’s membership.

The debate, which is scheduled to commence at 10.30 a.m., will continue until 5.00 p.m.

The date for the debate was fixed by the Committee on Parliamentary Business, chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, during its most recent meeting.

The parliamentary motion to remove Ratnayake is presented pursuant to Section 7 of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Act.

Ahead of the parliamentary debate, calling a media briefing on Tuesday (May 23), the PUCSL chief slammed the proposal to oust him as “politically motivated”.

He also expressed confidence that “true” public representatives would stand by him.

Ratnayake accused the government of attempting to interfere with the autonomy of independent commissions and exert pressure on public sector employees who do not give into political influence.

The parliamentary debate follows a lengthy spat between the PUCSL chairman and Power & Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera over several issues including the electricity tariff hike and the duration of power interruptions.