CEB chairman out

Chairman Udayasri Kariyawsam and the Board of Directors of the CEB were yesterday removed from office after discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the CEB Engineers Union. Some of the members of the present Board will retain their positions, a senior official said.

A senior ministry official told The Island yesterday that Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne would likely appoint Ministry Secretary M. M. C. Ferdinando as the new Chairman initially for a month.


Minister Seneviratne said that discussions were in progress about who the new chairman would be.

All CEB employees, from engineers to labourers, must work for the benefit of the CEB rather than towards their own betterment, the Minister said.

The key role of a chairman was to keep the work force united. However the demand made for the removal of the CEB Chairman by the Engineers Union was unfair, he said, giving the assurance that a competent person would be appointed.

The CEB Engineers Union Executive Committee yesterday decided to temporarily call off their work to rule campaign following President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ruling.

Engineers last week launched their work to rule campaign demanding for the removal of the CEB Chairman and for permits to import duty free vehicles.

The Island learns that President Rajapaksa had told the engineers that Government was not position at present to provide such allowances but would see what could be done.