Rs. 420 m for Kuwait war victims

LABOUR Relations and Foreign Employment Minister Athauda Seneviratne said he was able to obtain Rs. 420 million from the United Nation's Organisation on a request to them at the International Labour Organisation, Geneva to pay compensation for another 10,000 Sri Lankan victims affected due to the Kuwait war.

Speaking at a meeting at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Auditorium hand to over 400 letters of appointments to 400 graduates for the post of Human Resources Assistants under his ministry, the Minister said the Government service today has become a rotten wound although in the past it was mentioned as the Government service was higher than the service to God.

Seneviratne requested all newly recruited graduates to do their duty within eight hours without taking more hours for lunch and wasting time gossiping.

"How are we going to increase the productivity in a country when most employees leave office before their departure time, It is difficult to find out the proper employees who are on duty more than four hours even though they have to work for eight hours," the Minister said.

Seneviratne said he was preparing a proposal to the Government to give promotions in future to those arriving on time to office, for efficiency, marks and grade obtained at examinations.

Seneviratne requested all the newly recruited graduates to pay full attention on increasing productivity.

Labour Relations and Foreign Employment Ministry Secretary Mahinda Madihaewa Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Chairman Prof. Bandula Karunathilake Additional Secretary to the Ministry, Padmini Ratnayake and Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment General Manager Chandrani Senaratne also participated.