The government of Sri Lanka has decided to proceed with a plan to pay an additional interim allowance of Rs.3,000 to all government pensioners, ignoring a notification from the Election Commission (EC) to halt such payments until after the elections.
In a special Cabinet meeting held on July 24, the government approved an increase to the current allowance of Rs.2,500 for government pensioners.This decision raises the total interim allowance to Rs. 5,500 per month starting from September. This increase was decided following recommendations from a special committee investigating disparities in public sector salaries.
The Election Commission had informed all ministry secretaries yesterday to refrain from distributing this allowance until the election period concludes. Previously, the Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L.Ratnayake, had written to Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake, requesting the suspension of various government development and welfare programmes during the election period.
However, Ekanayake responded, stating that these programmes are not unethical and therefore cannot be halted. Despite the Election Commission’s notification to ministry officials, instructing them not to pay the increased pension allowance, Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne sent a circular to all ministry secretaries yesterday (7), instructing them to proceed with the payment in line with the Cabinet decision.
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