How Pension Bill could be removed from Order Paper

Irangika RANGE and Disna MUDALIGE

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva

Leader of the House and Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the inclusion of an Employees Pension Benefits Fund Bill in the Order Paper is only done after consultation at the party leaders' meeting and the removal of the Bill too has to be done after consultations at a party leaders' meeting.

Minister de Silva responding to a question raised by DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said it is so unfortunate that MPs who are not familiar or aware of this tradition are raising issues which are irrelevant and wasting the time of the House.

DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the sovernment should withdraw the Bill as it had promised to do so following the unprecedented protests against it.

Though the government had promised to withdraw it, the Bill is still included in the Order Paper and slated for the Second Reading debate.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said that it's better for the matter to be taken up at the party leaders' meeting.

UNP MP John Amaratunga said that the Bill had been approved by the Cabinet of ministers and the government should inform the House whether the Bill had been withdrawn by the Cabinet.