‘Kelani Saviya’, the award winning CSR programme of Kelani Cables PLC, Sri Lanka’s number one brand in secure electrical and communication cables, was extended for a further period of five years due to high demand from the corporate sector. It was scheduled to end in this year (2022).
The Cooperate Agreement to extend the programme was signed between Mahinda Saranapala, Director/CEO, Kelani Cables and Prof. M D Lamawansa, Vice Chancellor, University of Peradeniya at the Senate Building. Kelani Cables, Sri Lanka’s number one brand in secure electrical and communication cables has been conducting ‘Kelani Saviya’ in association with the engineering faculty of the Peradeniya University since 2007.
The brainchild of Prof. J. B. Ekanayake of Peradeniya University, ‘Kelani Saviya’ stands tall as the first ever CSR public private partnership program in Sri Lanka a local university has initiated in association with a private organization. The program enhances skills of self employed electrical technicians to be professionals and grooms school leavers to be skilled electricians. The program is open to budding electricians with no barrier criterions for enrollment. In the last 15 years over 500 students have participated in ‘Kelani Saviya’ one-year training program and most of them are now employed here and abroad as skilled electricians.
‘Kelani Saviya’ was commissioned in 2007 following a MoU between Prof. S B S Abeykoon, former Vice Chancellor, University of Peradeniya and Hemantha Perera, former Managing Director of Kelani Cables PLC. According to the stipulated terms and conditions of the MoU, the CSR program was to end in 2012. The program was further extended by Mahinda Saranapala, current Director/CEO, Kelani Cables PLC for a further period of 10 years till 2022.
Mahinda Saranapala, Director/CEO, Kelani Cables said although there were financial difficulties in the current year they have decided to move forward with the Kelani Saviya CSR program which is one of the longest public private partnerships(PPPs) in Sri Lanka and he would give that assurance on behalf of Kelani Cables PLC.
Dr. Anil Munasinghe, GM Marketing, Kelani Cables, said at the event, ‘We pay our gratitude to the engineering faculty of the Peradeniya University for conducting this fully fledged training program. ‘Kelani Saviya’ is the only training program in the country which offers internationally recognized University certificates to the successful candidates who have only GCE ordinary level education’.
Prof. M D Lamawansa, Vice Chancellor, Peradeniya University said one of the functions of the university was to contribute to the development of the society and this program added value to their attempts to serve the community.
The selected 11th batch of 55 applications was also present at the ceremony at the University of Peradeniya. The total cost of the program is to be borne by Kelani Cables PLC. The occasion was also graced by, Dr Maheshi Dissanayake, Director, Electrical & Electronic Engineering Workshop, University of Peradiniya, Prabath Binduhewa, Course Director, Kelani Saviya program and Jayantha Wijesinghe, Course Coordinator, ‘Kelani Saviya’.
Kelani Cables PLC is a one hundred percent Sri Lankan company serving the nation for 53 years manufacturing electrical and communication cables. The company achieved “Super Brands” status in the electrical and telecommunication sector in 2008 for professional supremacy it demonstrated in the electrical and communication cables sphere. The company is ISO 9001and ISO 14001 certified. In 2017 Kelani Cables won World Class Global Performance Excellence Awards and the company won the Gold Award for B2B Brand of the year at the SLIM Brand Excellence in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2020 the company won the Silver Award for B2B Brand of the year and ‘Restart Sri Lanka Resilient Award’ for Large Scale manufacturing at the SLIM Brand Excellence CNCI industrial excellence award consecutively for 3 years from 2006 to 2008 and for this achievement was recognized with CNCI industrial excellence crystal ward in 2008. The company clinched Taiki Akimoto 5S Gold award in 2007, National Safety Gold Award in 2010, SLIM brand excellence 2013 Gold award in B2B category and SLITAD people development Gold award in 2013. In 2015 and in 2016 Kelani Cables was awarded Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award. The company won Best Green Reporter Gold award at 2016 Presidential Environmental Awards and 2016 National HR excellence Silver award. Kelani Cables was awarded the prestigious National Quality Award in 2016 for the company’s sustained business excellence.
Kelani Cables PLC is one of the first companies in Sri Lanka that is signatory to National Green Reporting System. Owing to its health and safety oriented culture and environmental stewardship, Kelani Cables PLC has been certified globally recognized ‘Responsible Care’ charter.