Plans to disconnect power supply to people through essential feeders: Minister

Refuting reports that MPs' official residences in Madiwela had been included as an area where power cuts are not imposed, Power Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said today she had instructed the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to devolve a mechanism to impose power cuts for people who were getting power supply through feeders connected to essential services such as hospitals and Industrial Zones.

She told a news conference at the Presidential Media Centre that uninterrupted power supply was being provided to places such as hospitals and Industrial Zones through 165 feeders by today.

"People who are living adjacent to these places also receive power supply through these feeders and thus they do not experience power cuts. I instructed CEB officials to practically go to the field and disconnect power supply to other places that are linked to these particular feeders,"she said.

Responding to a question on power supply to MPs houses in Madiwela, she said the news shared on social media was completely beyond truth and added that it was a list issued earlier when there were 250 feeders for essential services.

"Now we have only 165 feeders to essential services. The list that was shared on social media is the one that had been issued on an earlier occasion. It is completely false," the Minister said. (Ajith Siriwardana)