Pay us Rs. 10,000 raise: Ex-pensions chief, 95 pensioners go to court

Ninety- five pensioners including a retired Pensions Department Director General have filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal challenging the Government's decision to suspend the increments of pensioners.

The petitioners, including former Pensions Director General K. T. Thilakarathne, are seeking an order from the CA directing the Government to pay the Rs 10,000 increment from January this year.

The petitioners note that while the former Government granted a Rs 10,000 increment to pensioners through Circular No. 3/2016, the Cabinet of the new Government has suspended this decision through Circular No. 35/2019. This has resulted in more than 110, 000 pensioners being deprived of the increment, the petitioners noted.

The petitioners are requesting the CA to issue an order suspending the new circular.

The petitioners have named 20 respondents, including Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Cabinet of Ministers.

The petition was called before CA President Dilip Nawaz and Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna this week. The court is due to consider the petition on September 29.