Case against Divineguma draft bill

Jayantha de Silva

An application (petition) has been filed before the Supreme Court alleging that the provisions of the Divineguma draft bill are against the constitution, hence should be passed with two thirds majority in Parliament and in a referendum.

In addition the application also seeks the Supreme Court to declare that certain provisions of the draft bill violate the Fundamental Rights of the petitioner and Samurdhi employees. The petitioner Chamara Madduma Kaluge is the secretary of the Samurdhi employees Association and a resident of Piliyandala. The Attorney General has been cited as the respondent. Under the draft bill the Samurdhi Authority, Southern Development Authority and the Up Country Development Authority are to be unified.

The petition complains that the draft bill does not explain the mechanism of deductions to the Employees Provident Fund pertaining to the employees of the afro mentioned trio of establishments. Besides the draft bill has omitted the inclusion of incentives with the possibility of losing such incentives in addition creating doubts about job security.