29 December 2019 03:51 pm Views - 1458
Those who obtain pipe-borne water illegally are to be prosecuted and jailed, and the relevant act would be amended accordingly, Minister of State Vasudeva Nanayakkara said.
Presently, any offender in this regard is given a fine of between Rs 5,000 to 10,000. In addition, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board recovers a surcharge of two years payment as a fine, even if water had been obtained for twenty-five years, the amount of the fine remains the same.
The State Minister claimed that the present punishment is not adequate for an offence in this nature and advocated a severe punishment of imposing a prison sentence in addition to the fine. (Dayaseeli Liyanage)