(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – The Cabinet approval has been granted to provide all the members of the Armed Forces, Police and the Special Task Force who have been disabled due to the war, to receive a pension equal to their last salary even after their retirement.
This payment will continue for the lifetime of the disabled soldier with effect from yesterday (24), the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
Accordingly, all disabled soldiers will be paid the monthly salary including the basic salary and all allowances received at the time of retirement.
Accordingly, all disabled war heroes will be paid their monthly salary including the basic salary and all allowances received at the time of retirement.
For example, the statement said, the basic salary and allowances of a disabled Army Major is Rs. 97,205. In addition, a service pension of Rs. 10,000 and a disability pension of Rs. 4,000 is added to the salary. Accordingly, the monthly salary of a disabled major is Rs. 111,483. When he retired at the age of 55 as a disabled soldier, he would have received a pension of Rs. 81,000. After today the retired disabled Army Major will receive a life-long pension of Rs. 111,483.
A few months ago, a group of disabled soldiers met with the Minister of Finance in Matara and discussed their difficulties.
Accordingly, the Minister of Finance, advised the Treasury in appreciation of their sacrifices for the country to prepare a mechanism to provide them at their request, with a pension equal to their last salary up to life.
The Minister of Finance, Mangala Samaraweera, said for the government to be able to provide this relief measure to the war heroes after the President was notified as the Defense Minister is a reason to be delighted.
After the end of the conflict in the North and East, there was an era when the then government was doing politics selling the security forces including the heroic troops. Even now, they are trying to come to power over the suffering and tears of disabled war heroes for the sake of narrow political gains, the Minister said.
The past government administrators have provided nothing substantial for the welfare of those soldiers. But after this government came to power, the Ministry of Finance was able to provide relief that was not given for the past 20 years to all members of the police and security forces through a concessionary budget.
It also implemented an increase in the allowances paid to officers of the armed forces and other ranks. The government has taken steps to increase the monthly ration allowance of tri-forces officers and other ranks from January.
Accordingly, the officers’ ration allowance has now been increased to Rs. 23,231 and the other ranks’ ration allowance has been increased to Rs. 19,350. In addition, the rental allowance paid to members of the Armed Forces was doubled. The commando allowance given to Army, Navy and Air Force has been increased from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000.
Further, a promotional scheme for police officers, which has been missing for 20 years, was introduced and the promotions of 31,000 police officers ranking from constable to chief inspector were initiated last week.
The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs will soon revise the Establishments Code and related circulars to implement the new life-time pension payment for disabled soldiers, the Finance Ministry statement said.
