The Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs is reported to have claimed that no other Government has looked after the public servants as well as by the present Government. That may be so. But the Minister cannot make the same statement as regards the Public Service Pensioners.

The Government has so far failed to implement the policy of increasing pension payments simultaneously with increases in the salaries of public servants, though that is done in respect of Parliamentarians. The discrimination in the payment of the Cost of Living Allowance to pensioners continues. The rectification of pension anomalies that arose as a result of the revision of the salaries of public servants in 2006 has not been done despite it’s inclusion in the Mahinda Chinthanaya Manifesto and provisions being made in the 2006 Budget Proposals.

The 4 1/2 lakhs of pensioners along with their family members should therefore show disapproval and resentment over the discrimination meted out to them at least by staying away from casting their votes to any political party at the forthcoming Presidential and parliamentary elections. The Pensioners should resolve to do so on October 8th - the ‘National Pensioners’ Day.