6 October 2023 05:49 pm Views - 4086
Over 1,500 requests have been received from people asking to pay their electricity bills after he was quoted in a statement that he was prepared to pay their bills, Water Supply State Minister Sanath Nishantha said.
However, speaking to the Daily Mirror he said he had never made any such statements over settling anyone’s electricity bills.
"I did not request for any electricity bills of low-income families of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) or anyone else's for me to pay," the State Minister said.
"This is a conspiracy by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)," added.
"I will not pay any of those bills which I had received through my WhatsApp," the State Minister also said.
Nevertheless, the State Minister had settled the controversial unpaid Rs. 2.6 million electricity bill of MP Namal Rajapaksa, which was being circulated on social media under the letterhead of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
“I settled the bill out of respect to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who had ended the war, and because MP Namal Rajapaksa being a friend who supported me in politics and in business,” he added. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)