Parliament

Regulations under the Protection of the Rights of Elders Act:

Registration of Elders' Societies made compulsory- Minister Felix Perera

Sandasen MARASINGHE and Disna MUDALIGE

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody presided, when Parliament met at 1.00 pm yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up the Regulations Under the Protection of the Rights of Elders Act for debate.

Social Services Minister Felix Perera: I present the Regulations Under the Protection of the Rights of Elders Act. Under these regulations, the registration of Elders' Societies have been made compulsory. Prior to this, even though facilities have been made to register these societies, it had not been made compulsory up to now. 242 such societies have been registered in Sri Lanka.

The elderly population in Sri Lanka has amounted to 11 percent of the total population.

Deputy Chairman of Committees Chandrakumar Murugesu takes the Chair.

Since June onwards, a sum of Rs 1,000 would be granted to those who are over 70 years of age. Earlier, this amount had been meagre and therefore this had been a great achievement. About 219,193 elders would receive this grant.

The President has provisioned a sum of Rs 911 million to facilitate this grant for the elders' this year.

Next year this would be increased upto Rs 2,100 million. We hope to extend the Rs 1,000 grant to another 97,000 people next year.

P Harison (UNP): We extend our thanks to the minister for this move. Taking care of the older community is very important. There are elderly people who are willing to reside in elders' homes.

But there is a shortage of quality elders' homes in the country. If the ministry was to come forward and establish such quality elders' homes which do not charge exorbitant fees, it would be a great relief to the older people of Sri Lanka.

Y.G. Padmasiri (UPFA): These amendments are very important. The elderly population is gradually rising and therefore the problems related to them have risen too. Some elders are now seeking elderly homes where they can reside after paying a fee.

The new regulations would strengthen the security of the elders. Elders' societies and other organizations working for the elders would gain recognition through this move. Attendants in the elders' homes should be properly trained. New training programmes should be introduced to them.

Ajith P Perera (UNP): According to the Mahinda Chinthana policy of 2005, the President had promised to remove anomalies in pensions. Even in the Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dekma policy of 2010 too, he had promised the same. But so far this had not been expedited. Likewise, many other promises given by this regime during election campaigns, have not been executed to date. The government had deceived the elderly community to receive their vote and the pensioners have become miserable and have lost faith in the government.

V.S. Radhakrishnan (UPFA): The regulations presented to the House today have been praiseworthy. In the Nuwara Eliya district too, many programmes for elders have been initiated. They have been issued identity cards to facilitate various benefits. Self employment had been promoted among these people. I heard the good news of the grant of Rs 1,000 to the elders over 70 years of age. I think that this grant would reach the plantation sector too.

Social Services Minister Felix Perera: I believe that even 60 years is not an age to be considered old.

Now we are issuing identity cards to the elders. We have allowed them to make use of the public convenience at cheaper rates. We have provided free spectacles to a large number of elders. The types of welfare programmes are in operation today. These programmes have been initiated within a short period of time under the leadership of the President. Another grant of Rs 3,000 too is being granted to the disabled elderly people.

The regulations were approved.

The House was adjourned until 1.00 pm today

At Adjournment

'Govt will not let state banks collapse'

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena, yesterday stated in Parliament that the government would not let state banks collapse, adding that the President had given special attention to protect and nourish them.

He made this observation responding to an adjournment motion moved by UNP MP Harsha de Silva.

Deal was suspended only after media highlighted it

Harsha de Silva (UNP): I request the government to take necessary action to safeguard the money deposited by the people in the NSB in the wake of the recent improper transaction of this bank. It had been revealed that the NSB had bought about 8 million shares of the Finance Institute to an amount of 65 percent above the actual value of the shares. The money used in this ill transaction had been the money deposited by innocent people in their 16.7 million accounts in the bank.

This deal was suspended, after we revealed it through the media. The UNP, as the main Opposition party, carried out its responsibility. We continuously inquired about this deal since it was initiated.

The trade unions despite of party politics, protested against the people who had been involved in this deal. They urged them not to destroy the reputation of the bank. Finally, we came to know that the Chairman of the NSB resigned as a result of the protests.

Drainage and Water Supply Minister and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena: I would like to point out that the Opposition member was taking more time than he had been allocated. At the Party Leaders' meeting, we only agreed to provide 15 minutes to the presenter of the motion. The decisions taken at the Party Leaders' meeting must be adhered to. I question the chair for permitting it. Those who are allotted to speak should stick to their given time.

Udith Lokubandara takes the Chair.

Anura Dissanayake (DNA): The wrong doings and mismanagement of the economy of the government cannot be suppressed by the voice of the Chief Government Whip or by putting forward the time factor. The public should be aware of these facts. The government should reveal the persons behind this deal. They should be produced before the law. The government should announce the action that is to be taken against the persons involved in the transaction.

'Govt will not protect rogues at any time'

Health Deputy Minister Lalith Dissanayake: The government has already taken the necessary measures in this regard. The government has cancelled this transaction immediately.The NSB was founded under the regime of late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. There can be corrupt people anywhere, but the government or the President will not protect the rogues at any time. The Director Board of the NSB had been removed.

If there had been a corrupt transaction, the persons involved in the transaction would be punished. The government is bound to safeguard the reputation of this bank. There is no legal barrier for a licensed bank to buy shares. However, since this transaction was not correct, the government cancelled it. MP Harsha de Silva was trying to show that this type of an incident had not taken place before.

We are of the view that this transaction was not proper. So necessary measures will be taken with regard to this matter.

Today, the economy in the country is flourishing day by day. This process should be further strengthened. Good fiscal management has helped reach this achievement. The Central Bank report last year provided ample evidence in this regard. The President has taken necessary measures with regard to this transaction without allowing Opposition members to score marks.

M A Sumanthiran (TNA): It was said that the government cancelled this transaction. However, there are disputes as to whether the government can cancel such transactions in this manner. My view is that you cannot do so. Those who appointed the high ranking officers involved in this transaction must be also responsible for this issue. This incident was an eye opener that this kind of mal practices can take place even in a reputed bank like the NSB.

Tissa Attanayake (UNP): We condole over the plight of the NSB today. The faith of the people in this bank had been shattered.

Why did the government cancel the transaction if there was no corruption with regard to it? The resigned working director of the NSB, who is a close associate of the President also said it was a corrupt deal. This issue should not be belittled. These are public money and therefore misusing them a national crime.

MP Tissa Attanayake created undue fear about the NSB

Arundika Fernando (UPFA): Tissa Attanayake created undue fear about the NSB in the minds of the innocent people who had assets of Rs. 463 billion.

President prevented breakdown of the Seylan Bank

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena: During the recent global economic recess, leading banks collapsed. Sri Lanka too was affected by this crisis. But due to the intervention of the President, the banks in our country could be stabilized. The people do not fear that State banks would be privatized today.

Thilanga Sumathipala (UPFA): Investigations are in progress on the transaction of the NSB. This investigation has become more independent by its chairman's resignation. The revelations of those investigations will be divulged.

Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena: The government has intervened to correct the transaction that was made by the National Savings Bank. By this questioned transaction, no loss had been suffered by the people. The government has taken measures to correct the questioned transaction by the directors of the same bank. An investigation is in progress in this connection. The government is responsible for protecting the State banks.

The members who speak about these issues, never spoke or requested for an investigation into the Eelam Banks which ended in May 19,2009.

They never said that the private and state banks failed in North and East because of the Eelam Bank. The opposition is just making false allegations saying the NSB is at stake.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not allow the private banks and state banks to go bankrupt during the world economic recess.

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'Waiting list for heart surgery has dropped'

Health Deputy Minister Lalith Dissanayake, yesterday stated in Parliament that the number of patients in the waiting list for heart surgery in government hospitals had dropped during the last few years. He stated that the number of patients in the waiting list to undergo heart surgeries was 8,180 to day.

He was responding to a question raised by UNP MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam.

Deputy Minister further stated that there were 28,712 patients in the waiting list to undergo heart surgery at the end of 2011. He also stated that government hospitals undergo these surgeries without any charge.

He added that there were 2,480 patients in the waiting list in Colombo National Hospital, while that number was 3,589 at the Kandy Teaching Hospital.

NPC building to be shifted and staff reduced

The National Police Commission would be shifted to another building and the number of officers serving in it would be reduced to 29, Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said in Parliament yesterday. He said that during the three years in which the Commission had been inactive, over Rs 50 million had been spent on the Commission. He observed that the Commission had been inactive since 2009 until February 2012.

He observed that the monthly rent for the building where the Commission was established, was about Rs 860,000. He added that 45 officers were working at the Commission and Rs 1.2 million had been spent for their wages in March this year.

The minister made this observation in response to a question raised by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera.

Ten year suspension for distortion

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said in Parliament yesterday, that a 10-year suspension would be imposed on two former athletic administrative officers who had presented false facts to the Asian Athletic Association (AAA), with the aim of cancelling the Asian Junior Athletic Championships to be held in Sri Lanka.

He also said that a committee headed by specialist Dr Maiya Gunasekera, had been appointed to conduct a special investigation in this regard. He said that AAA officer Nicholas Markas, would arrive in Sri Lanka to look into the preparations of this sports event, adding that he had asked for the complaint sent from Sri Lanka against this event from this officer. The Sports Minister also said that even though the AAA had sent a fax message on May 21 saying that the event had been cancelled, when an email message was sent to them saying that the elections of the Athletic Association was carried out legitimately, the AAA had once again decided to hold the event.

He observed that if this event was cancelled, it would have been a huge loss to about 900 young athletes, since they would have exceeded the age limit during the next competition. He said that maximum punishment would be meted out to those who made false statements.

The minister was responding to a question raised by UNP MP Sajith Premadasa.