Flood of requests for electricity bill payment a JVP gimmick: Sanath Nishantha

• Received over 1,500 electricity bills around the country to pay 

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama   

Over 1,500 requests were received from people to pay their electricity bills after I was quoted in a statement saying that I am ready to pay those bills, Water Supply State Minister Sanath Nishantha said.   

 However, speaking to the Daily Mirror he said that he had never made any such statement over settling anyone’s electricity bills.   

“I did not request any electric bills of low-income families of members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) or anyone’s to pay,” the State Minister said.   

“This is a conspiracy by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), he said.   

I will not pay any of those bills which I had received through my WhatsApp,” the State Minister 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 of being a friend who supported him in politics and in business,” he added.