Public sector casual employees:

Permanency from Nov 1

Forces, pensioners get increased allowances:

Lakshmi DE SILVA

Public servants including temporary employees will benefit by decisions made by the Government to grant permanent status to those still serving in temporary or casual capacities. There will also be an increase in allowances for the armed forces, public servants and pensioners.

Casual, temporary, relief contract-basis and preliminary grade employees or those recruited on contract in the public sector and provincial government services who have completed six months of continuous service in the lower grades will be awarded permanent status from November 1, 2009 under a directive issued by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mass Media Information and Investment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the weekly Cabinet press briefing yesterday.

Explaining the scheme of awarding permanency to casual or temporary or substitute employees in the public sector, the Minister said employees should be below 45 years on October 31, 2009 and should possess a satisfactory record of 180 days of continuous employment.

They should also possess the educational or other qualifications stipulated in the schemes of recruitment in the respective form of employment.

The decision to award permanency does not cover casual or temporary employees of projects recruited only for a particular project but for employees in the public sector including those employed in local government or provincial council services, he said. The Minister said the members of the three armed forces will be paid a daily duty allowance of Rs 100 or Rs 80 formerly paid only to those deployed for duty in the front or in difficult areas.

The allowances will be paid to all ranks irrespective of where they are deployed for duty. All public servants will also be paid an additional allowance of Rs.750 and pensioners Rs.375 with effect from November 1 but to be paid from January 2010 with arrears from November, the Minister said.