Jan 24, Colombo: A writ petition has been submitted to the Court of Appeal requesting that the orders made by the Cabinet of Ministers to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to increase the electricity tariffs together with the Ceylon Electricity Board be annulled.

The petition was submitted by a group including the Electricity Consumers Association and the Environmental Justice Center.

Ceylon Electricity Board, Minister of Power and Energy, Public Utilities Commission, Attorney General and others have been named as respondents.

The petitioner claims that the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to increase the electricity tariffs and directed the Public Utilities Commission to take steps to do so with the Ceylon Electricity Board.

The petitioners point out that the Public Utilities Commission is an independent commission and point out that the Cabinet has no authority to issue such orders.

Accordingly, the petition has requested that all the orders issued to the Public Utilities Commission regarding the increase in electricity rates be annulled.

Meanwhile Public Utilities Commission has sought the Attorney General's advice.

PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said today (24) that the proposal to raise the electricity tariffs presented by the Cabinet will not be implemented and the Public Utilities Commission has decided to consult the Attorney General about it.

Apart from the advice of the Attorney General, the committee will also take advice from legal experts and that there is no legal provision to increase the electricity tariffs temporarily and provisionally.