Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake remarked that irrespective of who was appointed as members to the PUCSL to replace those who have resigned, he would continue to conduct his affairs as he sees fit.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (5), Ratnayake noted that he was unfazed by the new appointees to the regulatory Commission. “I am not worried by who is to be appointed; but they have to undertake certain duties according to the PUCSL Act. However, no matter who comes, I have no issue; my stance will not change, and I will perform my tasks the way I feel comfortable. I don’t think anyone can stop me in this.”
With two members of the four-member Commission, namely Deputy Chairman Udeni Wickramasinghe and Mohan Samaranayake, having tendered their resignations to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies on 3 February, Treasury Secretary K.M. Mahinda Siriwardana appointed Douglas. N. Nanayakkara as a member of the Commission yesterday (5).
Speaking of the resignations, Ratnayake said: “The President nominates and the Council appoints, and they (the appointees) are free to resign at their discretion. Whatever is mentioned in their letters of resignation is their point-of-view.”
Wickramasinghe vacated his position citing personal reasons, while Samaranayake had alleged that the work environment and the work style of the electricity sector regulator had become highly “unprofessional, unpleasant, and intolerable”.
“The situation has degenerated to such an extent that on 20 January 2023, when a special meeting of the Commission was held, a group of thugs were allowed inside the Commission’s premises, who directly threatened me with physical assault and destruction of property. This act of hooliganism was justified by insinuation by the Chairman of the PUCSL at the National Council meeting held in Parliament on 24 January 2023 with the participation of members of the Commission. His justification of threats against me indicates that I run the risk of being threatened and even assaulted in future,” Samaranayake had alleged in his letter of resignation.
Samaranayake also accused Ratnakayake of violating Section 9 (5) of the PUCSL Act and continuing to make decisions and statements purported to be that of the Commission without the concurrence of the rest of the members, thereby making other members redundant.
Previously, although the PUCSL had opposed the implementation of a retrospective interim electricity tariffs on 12 January, three members of the four-member Commission, namely, Wickramasinghe, and members Samaranayake and Wijesinghe, on 19 January informed the National Council that the Commission’s decision to oppose the interim tariff hike was not a unanimous decision, but one taken by Ratnayake alone. However, on 23 January, the said three members wrote to the PUCSL once again requesting that the Commission consult Rajaratnam into the legality of the same. Last week, the PUCSL in a statement noted that the Commission had “unanimously” decided to not implement the interim tariffs.