Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera has condemned the statement made by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Spokesman Noel Priyantha, claiming that electricity was not a must for children to study, as an oil lamp was sufficient.
Noel Priyantha made the statement during a talk show with a local media channel recently, which had been in response to a question on the difficulties faced by children from the estate sector due to the disconnection of power supply due to unsettled bills.
Commenting on the matter, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said the CEB Spokesman has tendered his resignation from the post and has also issued a public apology for his statement.
Taking to ‘X’, the minister further said that the CEB management will also take appropriate steps regarding the statement made.
Stating that the statement does not reflect the views of the government or the CEB, Minister Wijesekera extended his apology on behalf of the Ministry and the CEB.
“I agree with the sentiments of @JeevanThondaman and many more that had raised the lack of empathy and professionalism in the statement made by the CEB spokesperson,” he added.
His comments come in response to a statement shared on ‘X’ by Minister of Estate Infrastructure Development and Water Supply Jeevan Thondaman on the matter.
In his statement, Minister Thondaman highlighted that the ‘entire’ statement made by the CEB spokesperson lacked empathy and was unacceptable.
“I trust that @kanchana_wij will take necessary steps to address this as I do not believe that the Hon. Minister shares the same view as the official,” he added.
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