Of unpaid electricity bills and Rajapaksa acolytes

State Minister for Water Supply Sanath Nishantha seems to be in an unusually generous disposition of late. First he settled the Rs. 2.6 million electricity bill that covered the cost for the 2019 wedding of MP Namal Rajapaksa and now he is planning to pay the electricity bills of low-income families of members of his Party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). This, he plans to do with the funds accumulated in the Sanath Nishantha Foundation. 

Such foundations are set up in the name of a large number of MPs and incorporated as Acts of Parliament by way of Private Member Bills. Such bills usually get approval of the House without much fuss. The funds accumulated in such foundations are used to assist the needs of voters and no doubt the MPs assist themselves rather generously given such bodies lack proper oversight.

That aside, let us get to the reason why Sanath Nishantha, a vocal supporter of the Rajapaksas, says he paid Namal’s overdue electricity bill. He says he did so as a mark of respect for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who played a pivotal role in ending the war as well as a token of gratitude for their friendship in both politics and business. No doubt that their “friendship in politics and business” has contributed to increase his bank balance in the millions and hence his reason to be generous toward them is understandable. What’s surprising is that not many of the other cronies of the Rajapaksas have come forward to foot the massive electricity bill, given how many have benefited from links to the family.

After news of the outstanding electricity bill became public following a Right to Information (RTI) request, Namal Rajapaksa denied knowledge of any such Bill and wrote to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) asking for details including the name in whose name the Bill was issued.

It is unlikely that Namal Rajapaksa has any idea about how electricity or for that matter any other public utility bill is paid as others have been picking up the bills for the Rajapaksa for too long. This does not only apply to utility bills alone. The entire population of this country is picking up the bills for the damage done by the Rajapaksas that has left the country bankrupt, and these are not bills that one state minister will be able to settle with the money in his Foundation.

Sanath Nishantha is free to pay anyone’s bill as long as he uses his own money but the public announcement of his decision to pay an overdue electricity bill of his political masters shows the moral degradation that Sri Lankan politicians have fallen into. For Nishantha it is payback time where his masters are concerned, showing his gratitude for lifting him from the wilderness and putting him on a political stage from where he has contributed to the further decline in politics in the country than make any meaningful contribution. He has every reason to be grateful to the Rajapaksas because it is thanks to their blessings that the likes of him have made it to the top of Sri Lanka’s arena and have found a voice.

We are yet to hear publicly from Namal Rajapaksa what he thinks of one of his sidekicks settling a long overdue electricity bill that covered the costs of generators and other electricity needs during his wedding festivities. So far, he has feigned ignorance as has been the case when anything unfavourable to them hits the headlines. Sanath Nishantha must be hoping his generosity pays off one day and the favour is returned if the Rajapaksas make a comeback while for lesser mortals who can barely manage to pay a four-figure electricity bill, there are no such generous patrons.