Over 5000 manpower contract employees to be absorbed to CEB

The minister of power and renevable energy Mr.Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that more than 5,000 employees that had been hired through manpower agencies will be absorbed into the Ceylon Electricity Board shortly. The minister disclosed this message joining the National Electricity Mobile Service themed “Ratama Eliyayi-Andura Duralai” held at the Postal Auditorium, Kegalle.

The minister further said that nearly 5,800 workers are working at the Ceylon Electricity Board recruited through manpower recruiting agencies. Discussions about the plight of these employees are being carrying out with the President Maithripala Sirisena and a special programme has been drawn through the leadership and the guidence of the Excellency to absorb them into the permanent cadre of CEB. In the first phase, those who are working in the casual basis will be selected to grant them the permanent appointments. Secondly, those who are qualified to enter into the casual basis will be selected for the absorption. There are some employees who had not completed the minimum requrement for six-seven years to enter to the CEB. A methodology has to implement to make a justice also for them. At the same time the solution to the issue has to be implemented safeguarding the intellectual property rights of CEB. Hence the program will be implemented in short, medium and long term.

By now we have completed 97% of the electricity requirement of our country. It is a great achievement after ending the 30 year war. Specially when comparing with the other Sout Asian countries we are very much ahead of them. There are only 3% of households that remaining to have electricity. Our effort is to complete that 3% by the end of this year 2015.

“In the Kegalle District itself there are 8158 houses that had not taken electricity from the national grid. There may be about 20,000 school children living in those houses. Aren’t they like to study using lighting through electricity? Thatswhy we have named this as “National Electricity Programme”. We have a target for the program. By the 4th of December this year, we electrify the entire Polonnaruwa district. By the January of next year all the other areas that don’t have electricity will be provided with electricity.” He said.

Former Senior Minister and the Kegalle district leader of SLFP Mr.Athavuda Senevirathne, Mr.Champika Premadasa, the State Minister of Industry and Commerce, the secretary to the ministry Mr. Suren Batagoda, Chairman and senior officials of the CEB, District secretariet of Kegalle and a large gathering participated the occasion.