Rupees one million into the hands of government servants ....

Rupees one million into the hands of government servants ....

instead of a vehicle permit

Though the duty-free vehicle permit which was available for government servants as a concession to purchase vehicles, upto now certain people had utilised it for

underhand dealings or transactions. While certain individuals had used this to buy vehicles under their own name, there were others who considered it in changing it to cash more beneficial to them.

With a speech of the Minister of Finance made in parliament today, the opportunity to turn it into cash has seemed to have dawned. Finance Minister Mr. Ravi Karunanayaka had mentioned today (01) in parliament that steps would be taken to grant a sum of Rs. one million to be given in lieu of the vehicle permit.

What the Minister of Health Mr. Rajitha Senaratna expressing his opinion at the second reading of the Appropriation Bill stated was that the attention of the Finance Minister be focused on abolishing the vehicle permit. Minister Rajitha had said that he makes a request that a sum of Rs. one million be granted for our doctors and other administrative officers and that the vehicle permit be abolished. In this instance what Minister Ravi Karunanayaka responded by saying, "Minister .... I am prepared to accede to the suggestion according to your request and that of the majority of MPs in that very same manner". As reported, these monies would be paid to government servants of the administrative grade by the government in the future being those who are due to receive vehicle permits. In the meantime the government has arrived at a decision to provide some concession to MPs who are due to receive duty-free vehicle permits which had been scrapped off in their case too by the budget.