The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) says it has filed a case of Contempt of Court before the Supreme Court against the Secretary to the Ministry of Energy & Power, the Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
Press statement of the HRCSL:
HRC/P/i/E/30/01/23 of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
The Human Rights Commission (“HRC”) has determined that the following parties namely,
1. Secretary, Ministry of Energy & Power
2. Chairman, Ceylon Electricity Board
3. Managing Director/Chairman, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation
have 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 Advanced Level Examination commencing from 23rd January to 17th February 2023 and in the aforesaid circumstances in particular the Chairman, Electricity Board 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/L students during the period of the examination, the Ceylon Electricity Board (“CEB”) wilfully and maliciously disregarded the settlement and continued with the power cuts. The settlement was to prevent the power cut only during the period of the A/L examination.
The Commission treats the said blatant disregard of the CEB to provide an uninterrupted electricity supply during the examination period is a gross violation of a child’s right to education.
