Dilemma facing state pensioners

In view of the dilemma faced by the state pensioners who are unable to make ends meet due to sky-rocketing cost of living, increases in prices of vitamins, drugs, medicine and transport costs, I venture to draw the attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the promises made by him to help the state pensioners to lead a comfortable life, bailing them out of the problems faced.

The President in the early days was worker-friendly and worked closely with the working people. Hence, I believe, that he will fulfil the promises made by him without further delay.

More facilities for elders under “Respected Senior Citizens’ Programme.”

In the Mahinda Chinthana (Mahinda Vision) published in preparation for the Presidential Election 2005, promises have been listed in Page 17, under the sub-head ‘Respected Senior Citizens Programme.’

1. I will not allow the Senior Citizens who have devoted their lives for their children and the country, to be lonely.

2. Their pensions will be increased in line with the public servants’ salary increases.

3. Anomalies in the present pension payments will be rectified and the pension system will be mended to reflect the self-respect of the pensioners. Those senior citizens with visual impairment will be provided with spectacles free of charge.

4. A deduction of 50 percent of the fares as levied by the public sector transport operations will be offered to senior citizens who are above 70 years of age.

5. A free railway warrant will be issued once a year to senior citizens to go on a pilgrimage.

6. A series of Homes for the Aged will be established for the benefit of destitute senior citizens with the assistance of NGOs and private sector.

The pensioners having faith in the above promises voted to elect, Mahinda Rajapaksa as the President.

Then again, in preparation for the Presidential Election 2010 the promises were published in the Daily News issue of Monday January 18, 2010 under the heading Mahinda Chinthana - Vision for the future - Towards a new Sri Lanka. In Page 12 under the heading ‘Support to our Pensioners’ the following promises were reiterated as follows.

I intend to implement the following measures to ensure that retired public servants who possess a wealth of experience are able to contribute with dignity to the development process of our country.

* While rejecting the perception promoted by previous governments that the monthly pension drawn by public servants is a ‘charitable donation’, I will take measures to establish that pensions are an honourable and dignified payment to recognition of their valuable contribution to the country.

* I will initiate action to accord further preferential treatment in addition to what is being already accorded, to pensioners who visit public places such as government institutions and banks. I will also introduce a scheme for them to receive similar priority in other institutions as well upon the production of the Pensioner’s Identity Card, Senior Citizens Identity Card or Elderly Identity Card.

* A scheme will be introduced where the pensions are delivered to the respective residences of the pensioners in order to avoid the waste of their time and effort to having to collect their pensions.

* I will synchronize the pensions of government servants who have retired prior to 2006 with the respective salary structures of 2006 and make the necessary provision from the next budget.

* A new health insurance scheme for government pensioners will be introduced subject to a limit of Rs 10,000 per annum, so as to assist them to meet expenditure on health-care facilities, medicines and doctors’ consultation charges.

On January 14, 2010, addressing around 5,000 pensioners invited to Temple Trees the President, specifically gave an undertaking that the anomalies arising from the salary increases granted to public servants effective January 1, 2006 will be rectified with the ‘Next Budget.’

Former Prime Ministers, Ministers of Public Administration and several Ministers from time to time indicated that the salary anomalies arising out of the salary increases granted to public servants as from January 1, 2006, will be removed.

However, upto date that has not been done despite promises made over and over again that the anomalies will be rectified.

Frustrated over the failure to keep to the promise, the pensioners signed an appeal to the President requesting that the 2006 salary anomalies be rectified. Pensioners from all parts of the country signed it. The Pensioners’ Associations thereafter pleaded for a date to hand over the petition to the President, but for over five months the date is being awaited.

Members of Parliament become entitled to a pension after five years in Parliament whilst having increases granted to Parliamentarians from time to time added to their pensions automatically. To deny state pensioners the same process is discriminatory.

Then again it is ironical that a former President who insulted the pensioners by stating that the pensioners were ‘eating, drinking and doing nothing’ after being retired had to appeal for an increased pension apparently facing hard times managing with the pension, in eating and drinking. Some learn from their own experience!

I, in the circumstances, appeal to the President, leaving aside all other promises made to the pensioners for the present, have the salary anomalies arising from the salary increases granted to public servants as from January 1, 2006 rectified, as promised, without further delay.

- Upali S Jayasekera,
Vice President,
All Ceylon Pensioners’ Society Ltd.