48 former and sitting ministers in hot water

Forty eight former and sitting ministers owe the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) nearly Rs 10 million in unpaid water bills.

At least one paid up his bills this week after being warned that legal action would be filed against him.

Some former ministers had not paid water bills for their personal residences but most were in arrears for official residences they occupied when they were in power. A few had unpaid water bills for both official and personal residences.

Some of the outstanding bills amounted to more than Rs 200,000. In some cases Water Board officials who went to disconnect water supplies had been chased away by these politicians.

Water Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara had directed officials to take legal action against the politicians after learning of the outstanding bills which had not been settled for several months.