Jobs for thousands of graduate trainees in Eastern Province

More than 2,000 graduate trainees in the Eastern Province have been given backdated appointment letters after the Provincial Council was dissolved ahead of fresh elections, officials said yesterday.

The move was a clear violation of the election laws that prevent job appointments during the elections.

A senior government official told the Sunday Times the appointments were granted on instructions from ‘higher authorities’, but he declined to elaborate.

The Sunday Times learns that some of the new recruits assumed duties on June 29 – two days after the dissolution of the council. Since then more appointments have been made.

When asked, Public Administration Ministry Secretary P.B. Abeykoon said they were “ongoing” appointments and not related to the elections.

“We have been granting graduate trainee appointments during the past one year. We have completed granting appointments in the Polonnaruwa district and the people in the east will think it is discrimina- tion if they are not given these appointments,” he said.

In addition to these appointments, the Sunday Times learns that more than 100 people have been called for interviews for Disaster Management Assistant jobs in the Batticaloa district.

The Government was also creating new posts of Acting Zonal Subject Directors of Education. The appointments are to be granted in all provinces including the three provinces where the elections are to be held on September 8.

Some 750 persons recruited on a temporary basis in violation of the Sri Lanka Educational Administrative Services guidelines are to be appointed to theses posts, the Sunday Times learns.

Meanwhile in a separate development, a United People’s Freedom Alliance office has been set up in the Eravur post office building. Requests from the Post Master General’s Department to evacuate the building have gone unheeded.

Dry rations, bicycles and other items have been stored in the post office building to be distributed among supporters ahead of the provincial elections, residents said.