The latest news that there is a move to bring the village level organizations like Death Donation Societies under the VAT regime has raised the hackles of the Green party backbenchers, they say.

Sparks flew at the recent Green party’s Diyawanna group meeting when this issue was brought up by the irate backbenchers.

These members had told the party leadership that they would surely face a hostile reception in the villages if the minor organizations at the village level were forced to pay the tax.

At this stage, the party leadership had promised to have the issue explained to them by the purohita concerned himself. However, the members had said in unison: “We are not interested in any explanation why the tax should be imposed. Our stand is there should be no levying of such a tax on the village level organizations!”