Angry consumer assaults meter reader when light bill showed 100% increase

Meter readers of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have threatened to refrain from issuing bills to the consumers after an incident in Meerigama where a consumer had assaulted a meter reader on Saturday after finding his light bill was double what it was be-

The meter reader was assaulted by this consumer who is an ex-army officer when he was given the electricity bill for the month

fore.

United Trade Union Front of the CEB Executive Committee Member Ranjan Jayalal said all meter readers would refrain from work including disconnection duties if such incidents happened again.

He said the government and the CEB should take the responsibility for the incident as it was they who increased the electricity tariffs and failed to give the people some relief.

Elaborating on the incident that happened in Meerigama, he said, a meter reader named Suresh Chaminda Attanayake had been admitted to Meerigama hospital with grave injuries.

According to Mr. Jayalal, the me- ter reader had been assaulted by this consumer who is an ex-army officer when he was given the bill for the month.

“The electricity bill of the assault suspect was double what it was before. He had questioned the victim as to why the bill had been increased by such a large amount. The meter reader had said he couldn’t do anything about it as the bill was computed in accordance with the new rates. The meter reader also told the assault suspect to visit the CEB area office if he needed further explanation. Then the suspect had told him to go to other houses and come back. The suspect had got hold of the victim while he was returning after visiting other houses in the neighborhood and had taken him into his house and assaulted him.

The suspect was later arrested by the police. The police have refused a request made by the suspect to tender and apology to the victim. The suspect is to be produced before courts.