Govt. treated pensioners unfairly: SLFP

• Demands payments be based on 2015 salary, says state institution heads will be replaced, slams continued FCID investigations      

By Chamodi Gunawardana

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday claimed that the Yahapalanaya Government had treated retired public employees unfairly by paying pension arrears based on the 2006 salary structure. 

SLFP National Organiser Susil Premajayantha charged that the Government had suddenly begun to pay Rs. 1500 in arrears to pensioners as an “election gimmick.” 

“Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his 2015 Budget, pledged to pay Rs. 3000 as an allowance to pensioners in addition to their pension. We had decided to remove pension arrears within six months and pay a pension based on the 2015 salary. However, after the United National Party (UNP) Government came to power these proposed concessions collapsed,” Premajayantha asserted.   

He demanded that the Government fulfil pension arrears based on the 2015 salary structure and not 2006, as done currently. 

“If shortages are paid on the 2006 pension rate, it would create deficits. Therefore we should pay the arrears based on the current salary. We promise that we will fulfil all these shortages in a fair manner if we are elected,” Premajayantha stressed.

Criticising Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka, Premajayantha claimed that Ranawaka was avoiding openly showing his candidature under the UNP.

“Some candidates of UNP are using the name of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) for their campaigns because they are shy to say that they are contesting under the UNP, especially Ranawaka, who has been using the UNFGG as his party and the elephant as its symbol. We would like to remind him that there is no political party registered as the UNFGG,” Premajayantha said. 

 Premajayantha accused the Government of violating election regulations by summoning members of the Opposition for questioning before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) while the Supreme Court order on the legality of the FCID was pending. 

“We lodged a case in the Supreme Court against FCID procedures and the court order is still pending. However, the Government has summoned some Opposition members and we believe that this is opposed to the law,” Premajayantha alleged.

Premajayantha stressed that they would definitely change the top seats of public institutions after they come to power.

“Currently many Government organisations are managed by UNP associates. However, they should go back home after we form our new Government. We expect to appoint new professionals for those portfolios,” Premajayantha noted.

UPFA pledges to slash water bills  

The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Colombo District Candidate Thilanga Sumathipala yesterday pledged that the next UPFA Government would reduce the cost of pipe-borne water by 50% in urban areas, according to their manifesto.

“We expect to reduce rural area water bills by 25% too. We believe that these concessions will be directly beneficial to urban and rural societies. This will be the first time that water costs are being reduced by that much,” Sumathipala said.