President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa presiding over an event organized and hosted by Minister of Housing and Social Welfare Wimal Weerawansa said that government officers and particularly Samurdhi officials have a duty to alleviate the suffering poverty of 1.5 million people in this country who live below the poverty line.
Letters to 7000 Samurdhi Officers making them permanent was handed over by the President and the Prime Minister yesterday.
The President told a huge gathering of Samurdhi officials who were gathered at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium to receive certificates confirming their employment that they should not be perturbed by the political crisis. “Leave the political crisis for us politicians to resolve,” he said. “Don’t let the country fall into anarchy. Render the services that you all did, let children go to school, trade and do business as you’ve done before. This is a nation of resilient people.”
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that parliament was akin to Sirikotha were decisions were being taken and approved by members with vested interests including the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. “Just yesterday Mangala Samaraweera brought up this matter of awarding Samurdhi officers with certificates confirming their employment to which the Speaker said he would look into it,” he said. “I am grateful to Minister Wimal Weerawansa for having the courage to go through with this even after so much opposition.”
Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that one of his prime objectives when he took over the Housing and Social Welfare Ministry was to ensure that the workers were well looked after. “It is only when they are looked after that they would render a better service,” he said. “I was told that this was a huge concern and it had prompted many to terminate their jobs. I only spent two meetings on the matter and we organised this event in less than four days.”
Minister Weerawansa also questioned as to how a member of parliament from the opposition could propose a motion and how speaker could approve it without so much of a deliberation, knowing very well it was unlawful.
He added that the recent incident where two police officers were shot and killed in Batticaloa was done by individuals with vested interest for political gain.
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