ARMED FORCES, POLICE EXEMPTED FROM DONATING DAY’S SALARY TO GOVT.

Donating a day’s salary to Government is not applicable to the armed forces and police, the Ministry of Defence clarified yesterday.

Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne said that donating a day’s salary to the Government to overcome the existing financial constraints due to coronavirus pandemic is not applicable to tri-forces, police and Civil Defence Services personnel. Last week, President’s Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundara made a request from the public servants to donate their entire, part or day’s salary of May to the Widows’ and Orphans’ Pension Fund to overcome the financial constraints faced by the Government due to the coronavirus pandemic. Following this request, the Ministry has sent a circular, to Heads of all establishments under the Ministry’s purview requesting to contribute a certain amount either with half salary, week’s salary or a day’s salary of May from their staff members to the Government to overcome the present financial constraints. “We have requested them to donate their salaries only according to their willingness to contribute to the request made by President’s Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundara,” he said. Refuting certain social media comments on Defence Ministry’s directives to have a day’s pay cut from the Armed Forces and the Police, Maj. Gen. Gunaratne confirmed that this request was irrelevant to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Police and Civil Defence Department personnel to donate their day’s salary to the Government. However, Defence Secretary issuing instructions to the Chief of Defence Staff,acting Inspector General of Police and the Director General Civil Security Department said that donating day’s salary is not relevant to Tri-forces, Police and Civil Security Department.