The United National Party (UNP) today charged that the Public Utility Commission (PUC) had been politicised and partial towards the government when granting permission to increase electricity tariffs without considering the plight of ordinary people.

“The commission is politicised and is following a government agenda. It has deceived the people when calculating the revised rates in an unreasonable manner and when granting permission to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to increase the rates,” UNP MP Ajith Perera told a news conference today.

He said the UNP showed how the CEB losses could be recovered up without increasing the tariffs which had heaped more burdens on people who are finding it impossible to make ends meet and are struggling to survive.

“The increase in tariffs is clearly an attempt to cover up the blatant corruption in the CEB and in the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC),” he said.

Mr. Perera accused the government and the PUC of looting the poor and make way for rich to live a luxury life.

“PUC’s proposed tariff hike is solely meant for the rich rather than the poor. Once again the poor had been targeted by the government for its benefit,” he said.

Mr. Perera said the increase in the electricity tariff was the kind of heartless New Year bonanza that this government had offered to the people.

He said the poor management strategies adopted by this government was seen in the manner in which more than 750 Sri Lankans were living in dire circumstances under the Sardinal Bridge in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“They had ended up under the bridge after their employers had treated them badly. Not even the Sri Lankan Consulate is taking any action to send these suffering people back to Sri Lanka,” he said.(Lahiru Pothmulla)