Minister Amunugama praises pensioners

• Says will be invited back to serve country

By L.B. Senaratne

Public Administration Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said a revolution would be made in the Public Service when all Public Servants would receive their salaries and other payments through Government Banks. If the Government Banks failed in this endeavour, then this service would be handed over to private banks.

Sarath Amunugama

Dr. Amunugama was addressing Government Pensioners at Kandy Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya for the inauguration of the payment scheme. Five hundred pensioners who were present received plaques for their long service to the country as public servants.

He said that all government pensioners would be given an opportunity to serve the country further when he implements a scheme for them to be attached to Divisional Secretaries’ Offices giving them legal status in the areas they live in.

The Minister said that the current method of paying pensions through Secretariats and Post Offices would soon become redundant.

He said that with modern technology, the Post Office would not be what it had been, since technology was advancing rapidly.

He added that out of the one million Public Servants around 430,000 pensioners had done yeomen service to the country and that they should be compensated by permitting them to work again for the country.

Sarath Amunugama said that the issue of permits by Public Servants was not their work and that the Cabinet had already approved the proposal for Public Servants to be relieved of issuing permits for the tapping of Kitul trees.

He also said that likewise he had sought Cabinet approval to do away with the issue of permits for felling Jak trees. The Minister said one was entitled to cut down a Jak tree in one’s garden and also plant one for what was felled.

Mr. Amunugama said the World Bank was satisfied with the manner the tsunami rehabilitation funds were handled.

Among those present were District Secretary Gotabaya Jayaratne, Director General of Pensions K.A. Tillekeratne, Pensioners’ Association President M.B. Madugalla and Deputy District Secretary Ms. Nandani Ekanayake.