Women who underwent involuntary sterilisation should be compensated

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said the government should compensate the women who were illegally sterilised. He said this in response to a question asked by journalists at his residence at Wijerama in Colombo. When asked whether the mothers who were subjected to injustice at the Kurunegala Hospital should be compensated by the government, Mr. Rajapaksa said, “Definitely they should be compensated. Its a grave injustice. The compensating should begin. It should be given prominence.”   

When asked how he would confront the issue as the Opposition Leader, he said he would discuss it with the government. Mr. Rajapaksa was expressing these views to media following a meeting held with a group of airline and airport employees. The employees had complained that a proposal had been made to cut a large amount of money from their salaries.   

Mr. Rajapaksa said it was unfair to do so and added rights and privileges of working people could not be curtailed.“This proposal has been made to cut a huge amount from their salaries. A sum of Rs. 218,000 will be deducted from the salary of a cabin crew manager. However, salaries of the management had not been affected. They can spend Rs. 15 billion on advertisements. Had the saved some amount from this, there is no need to deduct from employees’ salaries. We will bring the government’s attention to this issue,” he said.