Southern Province public servants said they did not receive the special distress loan assured by the Public Administration and Management Ministry circular number 14/2017 dated 28 06.2017.
Permanent state employees affected by recent natural disasters were guaranteed a distress loan worth six times value of their monthly salary that they have to settle in 36 months and the temporary employees to the value equivalent to their three months salary that they have to settle in 18 months, the circular stated.
The circular stated that the distress loan should be granted strictly to the government employees who suffered in the recent floods and landslides in the province in May 2017 and by August 31, the loan scheme should be stopped. However, it is alleged that provincial state workers were not granted the loan.
An official of Southern Province Chief Secretariat said the media that the treasury did not release the fund for the loan scheme despite their official requests and subsequent reminders.
The Secretary to the Treasury announced that they had already released Rs. 487 million to the District Secretaries of Galle, Matara and Hambantota respectively. But the District Secretaries refuted the claim, the Southern Province Chief Secretariat official said.
Galle District Secretary S.T. Kodikara said he received fund only for the development work but not for granting distress loans.
The Southern Provincial employees charged that it was an official discrimination and injustice on them as the central government employees in the province had been promptly rewarded the loan.