A program has been initiated to rectify the recent delay in payment of retirement gratuity, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena says.He stated that a Cabinet paper was also presented in this regard.

Arrangements will be made to make these payments in two parts, after obtaining the approval of the Treasury.This was disclosed at the Ministerial Consultative Committee meeting held in Parliament on Nov.

08 under the chairmanship of the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, PM Dinesh Gunawardena, when the parliamentarians inquired about the delay in retirement gratuities.The Director-General of Pensions said that as a result of the delay in the release of money by the Treasury due to the economic crisis in the country, a large number of people are on the waiting list expecting retirement gratuity.

He said that all payments up to January 2022 have been made.He further said that the Treasury has agreed to release the money required for payments from January 2022 up to the remaining period and accordingly, said that the money is expected to be given.The Director-General of Pensions also said that also, due to the reduction of the retirement age to 60 years, it is expected that new applications will be received after December 31st this year.

He said that a special program has been prepared to provide the basic pension to all of them promptly.Attention was also directed to resolving the problems of employees who have worked for a long time in local government institutions.

Accordingly, steps will be taken to appoint a special committee to recommend further measures, State Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, Janaka Wakkumbura said.Furthermore, PM Gunawardena instructed the authorities of the ministry that the annual reports of the public institutions, which are currently delayed, should be submitted to the Parliament as soon as possible.It was also decided at the meeting to have the other government institutions informed about this for the purpose of getting them to submit the delayed reports on their part to the parliament.The prime minister’s plan to convert a number of urban councils into municipal councils was also discussed at the meeting held.MP Charles Nirmalanathan, complementing the prime minister for conducting the same program in the Northern Province in his capacity as the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, requested not to abolish the making Mannar Pradeshiya Sabha when establishing the Municipal Council.MP Mano Ganesan made a request to take necessary steps to increase the divisional secretariats in Nuwara Eliya district.

The ministry officials agreed to discuss this matter and report the matter to the committee..

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