Chamari Perera, the wife of the late former State Minister Sanath Nishantha, has reportedly been refusing to vacate the official government residence provided to her husband during his tenure, according to sources from the Ministry of Public Administration. Nishantha was granted the residence while in office, but following his death in a car accident on the 25th of January, the government requested its return.
Despite multiple notifications, Perera, who is also a candidate in the upcoming general election from the Puttalam District representing the Pohottuwa party, has yet to comply with these requests, sources said.
By yesterday, all other former ministers had returned to their official residences, except for the one held by Nishantha’s family. The daughter of a former Opposition Leader and Member of Parliament R. Sampanthan has informed the authorities that the residence allotted to him would be returned by Tuesday (12).
However, Perera has continued to refuse to vacate the residence. In response, the authorities took action on August 8th to disconnect the water and electricity supply to the property. Ministry officials revealed that Perera and her children have resided there since Nishantha’s death and that she has not paid any rent for the house.
Ministry sources indicate that legal efforts to reclaim the residence are hampered by the family’s refusal to leave, as well as insufficient cooperation from Perera.
