The circular extending the retirement age up to 65 years has been issued by Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Provincial Councils and Local Governments J.J. Ratnasiri today (06).
The extension of the retirement age up to 65 years had also been proposed by the 2022 Budget Appropriation Bill.
The circular will be applicable to all civil servants except those age of retirement that has been specified by the Constitution, or any other law.
The circular also specifies how to handle the affairs pertaining to public servants who are currently on pre-retirement leave and have obtained approval for retirement.
Following the letter sent to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena by Leader of the United National Party (UNP) MP Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking the holding of an adjournment debate upon the throne speech of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the commencement of the new Parliamentary session, storming speculations are claiming that the former Prime Minister is in a bid to unite the ‘fractured’ regime.
The UNP Leader’s move is believed by a number of opposition parties to be a part of a plot navigated together by Wickremesinghe and Basil Rajapaksa to uphold the shattering glory of the government.
They claimed that by doing so, the ‘losing’ two-thirds power in Parliament could be restored and the government strengthened, leaving black sheep like Susil Premajayantha, who was recently dismissed from his ministerial portfolio over an alleged criticism against the government, no choice but to vote in favour of the government decisions in Parliament.
The claim, however, has been dismissed by a spokesperson to the former Prime Minister’s Media Division, as ‘Lanka Leader’ learned that Wickremesinghe’s letter to the Speaker may have been misinterpreted by fuelling such rumours.
In his letter, Wickremesinghe noted that an adjournment debate should be held upon the President’s throne speech at the new Parliamentary session, adding that this should preferably be held on January 19, 20 and 21, 2022 as the Party Leadership Committee that takes decisions on Parliamentary affairs has now been dissolved.
Wickremesinghe has also discussed the matter with Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena on January 03 and a written communique has also been forwarded to the Leader of the House in this regard.
Holding such a debate upon the President’s throne speech is traditionally being practiced after the adoption of the 1978 Constitution, the UNP Leader adds, but nowhere does it mention any request to hold a ‘vote’, the Spokesman told ‘Lanka Leader.’
While the Covid virus is still prevalent in the society, there is a rise in the number of denuge cases islandwide, especially in the Colombo and Gampaha Districts, revealed Dr. Deepal Perera of the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital.
The occurrence of dengue has increased especially among children, he claimed, adding that about 30 per cent of patients have been reported from the Colombo District and 28 per cent, from the Gampaha District.
Dr. Perera went on saying that the second type of dengue had been prevalent in the country so far and that water gathering places in schools, as well as around homes, should be cleaned up in the event that the third type of dengue has now been found.
Despite having the flu for more than two or three days, there is a risk of deaths in non-hospital settings being reported due to the non-admittance to hospitals amid Covid fears, he pointed out.
Unlike Covid, there is no immunity for dengue, Dr. Perera went on, adding that early detection of the infection, therefore, may allow the application of treatments preventing any fatal conditions.
Although the trade union action against the teacher-principal salary anomalies, which was suspended till January 22, was ceased due to the issuance of a circular as a first step of solving the problem, the struggle for an absolute victory will not be abandoned, said Teacher-Principal Joint Trade Union Alliance, speaking to a briefing held in Colombo today (06).
Addressing the briefing Secretary of the All Ceylon United Teachers’ Association Venerable Yalwala Pagnasekara Thero stated that the endorsement by the fellow state, semi-state and private bodies to the teacher principal struggle was a reason of accomplishing such a victory.
The government had intervened to remove the salary anomalies through a Cabinet decision by allocating funds from the Budget on the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee at a time when the struggle was to be intensified, the Thera added.
Leader of the United National Party (UNP) MP Ranil Wickremesinghe has written to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena requesting the holding of an adjournment debate upon the commencement of the new Parliamentary session.
In his letter, Wickremesinghe noted that such a debate should be held on the President’s throne speech at the new Parliamentary session.
The UNP Leader pointed out that the adjournment debate should preferably be held on January 19, 20 and 21, 2022 as the Party Leadership Committee that takes decisions on Parliamentary affairs has now been dissolved.
Wickremesinghe has also discussed the matter with Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena on January 03 and a written communique has also been forwarded to the Leader of the House in this regard.
Holding such a debate upon the President’s throne speech is traditionally being practiced after the adoption of the 1978 Constitution, the UNP Leader added.
The verdict on the case against Neomal Rangajeewa, a former Police Inspector of the Police Narcotics Unit and Emil Ranjan Lamahewa, a former Prison Superintendent, involving the slaughter of 08 inmates during a riot at the Welikada Prison in 2012 will be declared on January 12, 2022, as per the order of the Colombo Three-member Special High Court today (06).
This was when the case was taken up before the three-member Bench comprising Justices Gihan Kulatunga, Pradeep Hettiarachchi and Manjula Thilakaratne.
Chairing Justice Kulatunga stated that the declaration of the verdict will be postponed till January 12 given that the verdict could not be prepared today.
Dr. Harsha de Silva, Treasurer of the Samagi Jana Balawega, Colombo District Parliamentarian, says that the long term economic vision of the Samagi Jana Balawega is to build the country through a social market economic policy that unites Sri Lanka with the world for the benefit of the people of all walks of life, including the poor.
He said that Sri Lanka has now become a country that consumes more than it produces and that this economic policy will change that system and boost production so that a mountain of dollar reserves can be created. He said that Sri Lanka, which is isolated from the rest of the world, is being integrated with the world and developing ways to earn dollars for the youth from the countryside, and under this vision, an entrepreneurial environment will be created where every employee can shoulder the economic growth of the country with pride.
Kabir Hashim and Eran Wickramaratne, MPs of the Samagi Jana Balawega also participated in the press conference.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils, and Local Government have issued a circular regarding the elimination of teacher-principal salary anomalies.
Accordingly, this circular has been issued with the approval of the National Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the Ministry of Finance with effect from January 1, 2022.
The Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage has said that there is no need to worry about food shortages and that people in countries like Singapore and Dubai have not had to starve even though not a single grain of rice has been produced.
“If there’s a food problem, we’ll still import food, we only have a few shortcomings at this moment. Those will also be fulfilled sooner”
Mahindananda Aluthgamage said this addresses a function held yesterday (05) to mark the 50th anniversary of the Phosphate Company.
