The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal against the Ceylon Electricity Board.
Chairman of the PUCSL Janaka Ratnayake said a writ petition was filed to seeking an order against the CEB from imposing power cuts during the course of the 2022 Advanced Level Examination.
The Human Rights Commission on Monday (30) filed a contempt of court case before the Supreme Court citing the Secretary of the Ministry of Power and Energy, Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Managing Director and Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation as respondents.
The HRCSL said the respondents failed to abide by the settlement arrived at before the Commission with regard to the continuous supply of power during the period pertaining to the 2022 Advanced Level Examination that got underway from the 23rd of January to the 17th of February 2023 and charged that in particular the CEB Chairman is guilty of the offence of contempt under the provisions of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act No. 21 of 1996.
The Commission alleges that notwithstanding the settlement arrived by the above parties to provide uninterrupted electricity for the A/Level students during the period of the examination, the CEB wilfully and maliciously disregarded the settlement and continued with the power cuts.
The Human Rights Commission statement said the settlement was to prevent power cuts only during the period of the A/Level Exam.
The Commission said it treats the disregard of the CEB to provide an uninterrupted electricity supply during the examination period as a gross violation of a child’s right to education.
The HRC alleges that having admitted before the Commission that there are meaningful ways to provide electricity, and settling on that basis, the CEB disregarded the assurance and proceeded with the power cut.
The Commission found the unbecoming and outrageous behaviour of the State Officials of the CEB as an intentional affront to justice and contempt of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.
In this backdrop, the certificate of contempt has been duly signed by the Commission and forwarded to the Supreme Court and a case of Contempt of Court has been filed before the Supreme Court in this regard which will be taken up in the due course and relevant parties will be heard with the main view of providing a relief to the A/L candidates.
The Commission said it will closely observe the developments in this regard.
