Govt. yet to pay Divi Neguma officers’ travelling allowance, Union claims

By Chamodi Gunawardana

Approximately 19,000 Divi Neguma Development Officers working in the Divi Neguma Development Department under the Social Empowerment and Welfare Ministry have still not received their travelling allowances for the past four months, the Samurdhi Development Officers’ Union claimed yesterday.

Issuing a media statement, the Union complained that 17,000 Divi Neguma Development Officers and 2000 Divi Neguma Managers were facing difficulties to travel to rural areas due to the Government’s failure to provide travelling allowances.

According to the Union, Divi Neguma Development Officers should obtain a travelling allowance of Rs.750 per month and Divi Neguma Divisional Assistants should receive Rs. 1000 monthly. It further said an allowance of Rs. 2000 should be paid to Divi Neguma Managers per month.  

The 2015 budget had allocated Rs. 209 million to pay the entire travelling allowance for Divi Neguma Officers, but Budget 2016 had reduced to Rs. 46 million, curtailing the allocated funds by Rs. 163 million. The Union further said the Government should take immediate action to pay the deficit of four months’ allowance instead of talking labour rights only on May Day.