4 August 2010 08:15 am
The ruling UPFA today distanced itself from the conduct of Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva saying his behaviour yesterday where he had tied a Samurdhi officer to a tree did not reflect the position of the party.
UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayanth speaking to Daily Mirror online said that Deputy Minister Silva’s actions yesterday were merely his own and did not have anything to do with the party or the government. “This was purely his own conduct and had nothing to do with the party. Therefore I do not want to comment,” Minister Premajayanth said.
Meanwhile Samurdhi officers will hold an island wide protest campaign tomorrow against the action of Deputy Minister Silva.
The General Secretary of the All Island Samurdhi Development and Agricultural Research Production Assistants Officers Society, Jagath Kumara told journalists that the protest will take place outside the Divisional Secretary offices in various parts of the country.
Due to the conduct of Deputy Minister Silva tying a Samurdhi officer to a mango tree yesterday and severely reprimanding three other officers, two of whom were females, Samurdhi officers have decided to suspend their participation in dengue eradication programmes islandwide until disciplinary action is taken against him.
President of the All Ceylon Samurdhi Workers Association Nishantha Udawatta said that all associations affiliated to the Samurdhi Authority have decided to support the strike and will also seek legal action against the Deputy Minister. (Daily Mirror online)