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CEB tells Dayasiri to settle Rs. 600,000-plus arrears, Rs. 1 mn with interest

06 Oct 2022

BY Dinitha Rathnayake  The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has sent a letter to Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara informing him of arrears of Rs. 637,448.38 in electricity bill payments owed for the period from 2016 to date excluding the interest accumulated, with which the amount owed totals above Rs. 1 million.   The letter stated that in 2016, he owed the CEB Rs. 494,739.69, and that as of August 2022, the said amount has increased to Rs. 1,132,188.07.  The letter also stated that he has to settle the electricity bill before 15 October, as otherwise his power would be disconnected. When contacted by The Morning, Jayasekara said that he was not informed whether the arrears were classified as personal or official when he had inquired after such from the CEB. “The CEB is listing arrears from 2016 till 2022. That was from the time of late Minister Richard Pathirana’s period to date. I was holding three ministerial porfotlios, including Sports Minister, Gem and Jewellery Minister, and Batik and Handloom Minister, so they have to classify in which ministries, or in which official residences these bills were racked up. Through a letter to the CEB, I urged a waiver of the interest that was added to the original amount. I mentioned in the letter that I understood that there are arrears in several ministries that I worked for, and I would therefore take the needed steps to overcome the issue. I have also informed the CEB that I would clear the arrears as soon as possible,” he said.


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