By Nishel Fernando
At the District Court of Colombo, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has agreed to pay the liabilities amounting to Rs.162 million to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), within a period of two months.

The PUCSL had filed a case in the District Court of Colombo to recover a sum of Rs.162,066,600 due to the PUCSL as the annual licence levy on six licences granted by the PUCSL to the CEB. 

When the case was taken up in the District Court before the Colombo District Court judge yesterday, Uditha Egalahewa PC, appearing for the CEB, accepted the liability to pay the annual licence fee or levy and had requested for two months’ time to make the payment.

In view of the said undertaking, whilst reserving its right to get the writ issued if the CEB fails to pay, the PUCSL agreed to grant the time requested for.

The application was supported before District Judge of Colombo Jayaki De Alwis Kasturiaratchi. 

Accordingly, the case would be called in open court again on November 27.

Earlier, Senior Counsel for the PUCSL, Chandana Liyanapatabendy PC, whilst supporting the said applications, stressed that under Section 46 of the Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009, the PUCSL is entitled to get a writ of execution authorizing the Fiscal of the court seize and sell the properties of the CEB in order to recover the due amounts from the CEB.  

However, the District Court had issued notice on the respondent of the CEB to appear in court on September 17.

Chandana Liyanapatabendy PC, with Vijaya Gamage, instructed by Dushmantha Peiris, appeared for the PUCSL, whilst Uditha Egalahewa PC, with Ranga Dayananda, appeared for the CEB.

The CEB earlier in a letter signed by its general manager refused to pay the annual licence levy on six licences to the PUCSL, as long as PUCSL Director General Damitha Kumarasinghe holds the post of Director General of the PUCSL. At a recent hearing, the Committee on Public Enterprises has also instructed the CEB to settle the liabilities to the PUCSL.