2005-2015 Govt. to compensate 31,000 political victims in next two months

• memo presented by PM in this regard approvED last Tuesday along with observations of PreZ

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

The government will pay compensation to some 31,000 public servants in the next two months who have been subjected to political victimisation between 2005 and 2015, a spokesman to the Prime Minister’s office said recently. 

The Cabinet memo presented by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in this regard had been granted approval last Tuesday along with the observations of President Maithripala Sirisena. 

There has been a long delay in providing relief to public servants who had been subjected to political victimisation despite the relevant Cabinet paper being approved in March 2016 by relevant authorities. 

Following the Cabinet nod last week, the Prime Minister’s office will inform secretaries to relevant ministries to take expeditious action based on the mechanism to be formulated and also to submit to the Cabinet any matter that needs further consideration. 

Cabinet approval has already been granted to provide once-and-for-all financial relief to appellants considering the losses incurred by them due to political concerns indicated in his or her appeal, in the event difficulty arises in implementing the recommendations submitted by the Appeals Review Committee.