CEB spokesman resigns after insensitive comments
COLOMBO – The official spokesman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Sri Lanka’s state-owned electricity supplier, has resigned after controversial comments he made on a talk show sparked anger.
CEB spokesman, engineer Noel Priyantha, told a talk show on a local TV channel on Tuesday (20) that children don’t need electricity, or lights, to study and can do so with a kerosene lamp. “People have got used to free electricity… Why do children need electricity to study? If there is no electricity they can use a bottle lamp (ku-ppi lam-pu-wa). That’s how I studied. People should know to use what they have and come up in life.”
Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera announced on X (Twitter) on Thursday that the management of CEB has informed him that the spokesperson has tendered his resignation from the post and issued a public apology for his statement. “The management will also take appropriate steps regarding the statement made,” he wrote.
Wijesekera said he agreed with the sentiments of everyone who “had raised the lack of empathy and professionalism in the comments made by the CEB spokesperson.”
The comments, which also included criticism of the estate sector people for being drunk after 2:00 p.m. and blaming parents for not providing for their children, were widely circulated on social media, including by Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Jeevan Thondaman.
“The ‘entire’ statement made by the CEB spokesperson, lacks empathy and is unacceptable,” Thondaman said.
Wijesekera, also wrote on X that “The statement does not reflect the views of the GovtA or the CEB. and would like to extend my apology on behalf of the Ministry & CEB.”
Sri Lanka’s estate workers are some of the most impoverished people on the island, trapped in a poverty cycle with no resources necessary to escape poverty. They have no land rights or adequate education facilities.
-economynext.com
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