Running Cable TV wires on electricity lamp post and compensation for deaths by electrocution

Question is being posed, as who will compensate, in case of civilian deaths caused by electrocution due to the snapping of cable TV wires, run on the electricity lamp posts of the Ceylon Electricity Board?

Presently, Cable TV operators are running their cable TV wires by making use of the electricity lamp posts of the Ceylon Electricity Board.

The cable TV operators are running their tv cable wires, making use of the electricity lamp posts for the last five to six years, without any approval – which is said to be a high-handed and illegal act.

Ceylon Electricity Board is even now being pressurized to allow cable TV operators to run their cable TV wires on the electricity post belonging to the Board.

'Asian Tribune' learnt that, earlier during the previous government, retired Major General Kapila Henda-Vitharana a former head of the military intelligence and later head of National Intelligence Bureau exerted pressure on the Electricity Board to allow one of his pet cable TV operators in the North to run the cable Tv wires across the street lines, using the electricity lamp posts.

Accordingly, due to the pressure exerted in the name of Defence Ministry, Ceylon Electricity Board appointed a committee to accede to the wishes of Major General Kapila Henda-vitharana.

As high-level pressure was applied, Ceylon Electricity Board closed one eye and allowed Cable TV Operators, especially in the North and Eastern provinces to run their cable TV wires using the electric lamp post of the Board, which was said to be an illegal act.

‘Asian Tribune,’ contacted A.K.Samarasinghe, the newly appointed General Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board to seek clarification on the issue and he said that the issue of allowing the Cable TV operators to make use of the electricity lamp posts to run their cable TV wires has yet not been finalized.

He said that pressure is being exerted on the Board regarding this subject and a Committee has been appointed to go into this subject and the state of the report was yet not known.

When ‘Asian Tribune’ queried who will be responsible in case death occurs to civilian due to cable TV wires snapping and civilians electrocuted, Samarasinghe said this matter is now being pursued and at present by not taking action against those cable TV operators for illegally allowing them to make use of the electricity lamp post to run their wires, and if any death occurs then it is the responsibility of the Ceylon Electricity Board to compensate such deaths.

It is not clear who were responsible for pressurizing the CEB at present after the emergence of the ‘Good Governance’, to allow the cable TV operators to make use of the electricity lamp posts to run their cable TV wires.

'Asian Tribune' contacted Chandana Jayasundara, Chairman of one of the leading cable operators in the Western province, Albion TV, regarding this subject and he told that they mostly run their cable TV wires on their own poles.

He said they used to obtain permissions from the Road Development Authority and also from the respective Predeshiya Sabahs in the Colombo areas and install their own poles to run their cable Tv wires.

- Asian Tribune -