Payment of pension anomalies will be paid on November 8: Minister

With the rectification of pension anomalies, the payment of arrears of over half a million pensioners would be paid on the November 8 with the five months arrears, Public Administration Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said.

Speaking to the media at the Ministry, he said 95 per cent of pension payment anomalies had been removed and ready to pay their arrears from November.

"More than 500,000 applications had already been processed. There were several issues on misplaced and destroyed documents due to floods. Those issues would also be rectified by November," the Minister said. The salary of a retired management assistant grade one has been increased by Rs.5,200 under the proposed new pension scheme. Pension of a teacher in grade one service would be increased by Rs.9,200 and the pension of a retired a nursing officer would be increased by Rs.9,200.

The pension of a retired police sergeant would be increased by Rs.4,200. A retired senior executive officer will get an increase of Rs.16,000 and the salary of a ministry secretary, who retired before 31.12.2015, would be increased by Rs.20,000. An interim allowance of Rs.3,500, paid to the pensioners who retired under the provisions of circular no.05/2015 will become ineffective now. Further, all pensioners are eligible to receive the cost of living allowance of Rs.3,525 paid at present, the Finance Ministry said. Over 500,000 public servants who retired before December 31, 2015, will be benefited by the removal of this anomaly.“The monthly pension of the public servants who retired before 31.12.2015 would be increased by a minimum of Rs.2, 800 and the maximum of Rs.20,000,” the Ministry said in the statement.

This salary anomaly was created as a result of those who retired before December 31, 2015, and others who retired thereafter were considered under two different circulars. Pensions were paid to the public servants who retired before December 31, 2015, under circular 05/2015 and their counterparts who retired thereafter were paid pensions under circular 03/2016. Accordingly, the salary of a retired KKS ('Karyala Karya Shahayaka') grade one who retired on or before 31.12.2015 has been increased by Rs.2,800. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)