SJB urges PM to appoint a special commission

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday urged Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint a special commission to probe the Chairman of a leading State Bank who had obtained a loan of Rs. 23 million from the same bank with the minimum rate of 4 per cent for his own company.

SJB National List MP Mayantha Dissanayake told a press conference that the Prime Minister should appoint a commission to probe this with the approval of the Cabinet.

“This chairman has to resign from his post if he is found guilty,” he added.

Also he said, a manager of this particular bank has been given a promotion for helping the bank chairman to secure the loan.

Meanwhile the SJB MPS who represent the estate sector, Mano Ganesan, P. Digambaram and Vadivel Suresh said the pledge to increase the daily wage of estate workers to Rs. 1000 seemed to be in jeopardy. MP Mano Gansesan said the companies might try to reduce the maximum number of days of work for an year from the current 300 days while the daily target of plucking leaves might also be increased.“workers will not benefit from this move,” he said.

“We don’t want to support any strike action considering the country’s economic situation but we warn the Government not to push us to that extent,” he said.

Mr. Suresh said increasing the daily wage of estate workers to Rs. 1000 has nothing to do with the collective agreement as it is an election pledge and a budget proposal.“government should see to it that the workers get the daily wage of Rs.1000 in this situation,” he said. (Yohan Perera)