Straps; Govt. trying to retake Rs. 5,000 allowance: Rights group Opposition lodges complaint with PUCSL Miscalculation maybe, but can't take action: PUCSL By Sarah Hannan Households are now receiving their long-overdue utility bills and are witnessing discrepancies, especially on their water bills, while authorities are still inquiring into the matter, The Morning learnt. Women for Rights Secretary Samanmali Gunasinghe told a media briefing that the Government was attempting to take back the Rs. 5,000 allowance provided to low-income families by overcharging them for their water usage over the past two months. Although the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) had stated they would issue separate bills for each month on an average usage calculation, it seems as if consumers have been charged on accumulated unit usage for the months of April and May. “If a person used 35 units of water and had to pay Rs. 2,186 for their March bill, the next bill issued to the same person reflected 55 units for the month of April and May amounting to Rs. 5,335,” Gunasinghe noted. Meanwhile, former United National Party (UNP) Deputy Minister Attorney-at-Law Ajith P. Perera lodged a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) regarding the discrepancy problems pertaining to water bills and electricity bills. PUCSL Director – Corporate Communications Jayanath Herath said the miscalculation that occurred while calculating electricity bills could have also happened while calculating the water bills. However, Herath noted that the PUCSL is unable to take any action regarding water bill miscalculations as the Water Board is not under the purview of the PUCSL. "The biggest problem here is that most families have lost their income for two months. It is wrong to ask people who are in such a difficult situation to pay big sums at once. It is wrong for a family who has a small amount of money to spend, to pay a very high water bill, especially when there is a shortage of money,” Herath added. Water Supply Facilities State Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, in response to the bill discrepancies, noted that consumers have been informed to complain about the discrepancies to the Water Board, and that instructions were given to issue separate estimated bills for the months of April and May.