The places of religious worship have now been relieved of the burden of paying huge electricity bills, as the Ceylon Electricity Board has decided to introduce a flat tariff rate of Rs. 12.50 per unit for these institutions. Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne told Daily Mirror yesterday that this decision was taken at a meeting attended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and religious dignitaries last evening. Mr. Seneviratne said that the government took this decision because the improvement of facilities at places of religious worship would eventually lead to the upliftment of the moral and spiritual values of the people. "According to the previous rates, these places had to pay high electricity bills. Now they are relieved of that burden,' he said.