(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant officials to formulate a scheme to compensate the public servants who are receiving treatment at home for COVID-19 from the Agrahara Insurance Fund.
The Premier issued these instructions at a discussion held at Temple Trees Wednesday (13) with a delegation from the National Center for Progressive Trade Union Federation, Sri Lanka Freedom party trade unions and Trade Union Federation.
Prior to this, the Prime Minister as the then Minister of Finance took measures to implement the Agrahara Insurance Compensation Scheme in the 2021 Budget Proposals for the loss of life and hospital treatment of public servants due to Covid-19.
At the discussion, the trade unions raised the issue of the need to make the public service more efficient. It was also explained how the problems between senior officials and employees at the institutional level have affected the functioning of government institutions.
Making note of the need to increase efficiency and productivity in the public service, the Prime Minister pointed out that responsible officials need to be proactive.
He also pointed out that local and foreign training opportunities for public servants should be increased for this purpose.
The trade union representatives expressed their views regarding the recovery of the pension of the employees who joined the public service after the year 2016, lost during the previous government.
The Premier immediately informed the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration to look into this matter.
Increasing pensions relative to rising cost of living was also discussed at the meeting.
The trade union representatives also informed the Premier about some irregularities in the procurement of the Railway Department.
The PM, recalling that government agencies have already been informed of the need to limit spending at a time when the country’s economy has been affected by the Covid epidemic, said he would look into the malpractices in the Railway Department.
Ministers Gamini Lokuge, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Service, Provincial Councils and Local Government JJ. Ratnasiri, Secretary to the Ministry of Labor MPDUK Mapa Pathirana, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Chaminda Kularatne, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health Kumari Attanayake and Director General of the National Budget Department Jude Nilukshan were also present.
