Senior citizens’ pension from next year

Priyanka Kurugala

A Cabinet paper presented to provide a pension scheme for senior citizens of over 80 years has been approved. The government can activate the pension scheme for the elderly from next year, Social Services Minister Felix Perera said.

He was participating as the chief guest at a community mobile service at the Lindula Saraswathi Maha Vidyalaya, Nuwara Eliya.

The minister said: “one of the major ideologies of politics is social service. After my appointment as social service minister I was able to do a large amount of work for the country. I am very happy about this.”

“Sri Lanka stands above most countries in treating the elderly. Due to low income of their children or migration some parents become destitute. Every individual should consider that these elders have provided their strength to build the country and to have contributed a good generation to the country,” the minister said. Public donation was increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 with the mediation of the Social Service Ministry.

The government has made it a must for builders to provide access facilities for the disabled when constructing new buildings. The Social Services Ministry is also providing support to the people who has become destitute in the Northern and the Eastern Provinces.

The Ministry has taken numerous steps to develop infrastructure facilities for institutions such as schools, temples, churches and kovils. To make a success of these tasks, the ministry has got the support of the public. Such works cannot be implemented only with government support, the minister said.