Letter to Minister of Public Administration, Karu Jayasuriya

I seldom indulge in hosannas and hallelujahs for politicians as I have been apolitical throughout but today, I hasten to congratulate the newly appointed Minister of Public Administration.

You have earned the admiration of the masses with your gentle elegance, intellectual brilliance, sincerity of purpose laced with unshakeable commitment to a cause and absolute integrity devoid of even a trace of sophistry. I hope and pray that you will grant redress to the hapless pensioners exuding political maturity and common sense.

We poor pensioners are experiencing the worst ever period. It was the sad creation of your erstwhile colleague and the whole group in the Public Administration Ministry and the Pensions Department in cahoots. The Director General of Pensions probably did not realize that his institution stands discredited for having ignored the gravity and the magnitude of the problem created by having the indispensable pension receipt withdrawn on the flimsy excuse of saving funds. It was a shattering blow to poor pensioners and has evoked widespread public condemnation thereby dissipating the popularity of your Government.

The decision to do away with the pension receipt is reckoned by the discerning as an infringement of one’s human rights. The pension receipt consisted of eleven columns. It furnished the pension, various allowances and above all deductions - the most important item. Some pensioners obtain loans from various beneficiary organizations and are being recovered in monthly instalments. e.g. the Government Officers’ Benefit Association and the Public Servants' Mutual Provident Association.

The officials perversely persist in the error even though the lapse is glaring. They have been deaf about the traversty of justice sprung on the pensioners. Under your benevolent stewardship, please give us the indispensable pension receipt. You may even recover its cost and postage.