It is said that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Leader of the Jathika Jana Balavegaya Anura Kumara Dissanayake stand up to support the former Public Utilities Commission chairman Janaka Rathnayake, who opposed the increase in electricity tariff in order to show that he want to relieve the people of burden so that he could contest the upcoming Presidential election, former MP R.Yogarajan said.
“When the government is trying to increase the electricity tariff in order to make the Electricity Board an institution which does not make losses, Janaka Ratnayake wanted to show that he is a populist with the aim of running for the upcoming Presidential election, he said.
Yogarajan said that the public is waiting to see if he will let Dulles Alahapperuma contest the election or whether he will hide behind him.
He made these comment while speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday (30) at the Sirikotha. Currently we see that a new Presidential candidate is being presented by the opposition. He is Janaka Ratnayake, the former Public Utilities Commission Chairman.The government was able to remove him from his position by obtaining 124 votes in the poll held for his removal, in Parliament, he said.
The former MP said the TNA was not in Parliament at the time of voting.Yogarajan said that Ratnayake just wanted to show his face to the people and become popular. With the proposals of the International Monetary Fund, the Electricity Board had to increase the electricity bill to a certain extent in order to run as an organization that does not make losses. At that moment, Janaka Ratnayake tried to show that he was on the side of the people.
The International Monetary Fund had also emphasised that the Petroleum Corporation should be run as a non-loss-making entity. Therefore, the price had to be increased. Now the price of fuel has been reduced. Compared to that, the minister has stated that it will be possible to reduce the electricity bill by July.
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