Commissioner requests electricity, water bills paid by CMC

By Lal Gunesekera

Colombo Municipal Council Commissioner Mrs. Bhadrani Jayawardene has requested Mayor A. J. M. Muzammil to consider having her electricity and water bills, at her official residence, be paid by the CMC.

In her letter, addressed to the Mayor, Mrs. Jayawardene states that she had been unsuccessful in getting extra meters for electricity and water installed and that she had been paying for her consumption from her own private funds. She cites that the Council pays the electricity and water bills of the Mayor’s official residence.

The Commissioner also states that she employs six security guards, two drivers, one gardener and another person to clean the drains at her official residence and also four members of her family are occupying the official residence.

CMC sources said that she was not entitled for these benefits, such as for the Council to pay her electricity and water bills, and that she was using four vehicles, including a Land Rover and a Peugeot 506. They said that a sum of Rs. 2 million had been paid for repairs of the Land Rover and that the residence she is now occupying was the official residence of the Chief Engineer. Further, she is entitled to use the vehicles only in Colombo.

Mrs. Jayawardene has also written to Mayor Muzammil stating that it was not necessary for her to attend meetings of the Council and its Finance Committee.

At the Council meeting on Thursday (29), Abans’ bid for Rs. 1,140 million for garbage disposal in the City, was approved by a majority of 16 votes. Twenty eight Councillors of the UNP and the Democratic People’s Front (DPF) of Mano Ganeshan voted in favour. 12 UPFA and two independents voted against, while 11 Concillors were absent. UPFA’s Azad Salley (now functioning as an Independent) and JVP’s Sunil Watagala abstained.

Mayor Muzammil and Commissioner Mrs. Jayawardene were not available for comment.

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