ISSUES RELATED TO PENSIONS OF RETIRED WAR VETERANS AND WIDOWS AND ORPHANS PENSION FOR WAR HERO FAMILIES BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF DEFENCE SECRETARY

Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 30 -- Ministry of Defence and Urban Development issued the following news release:

A special discussion to resolve issues related to the pensions of retired war veterans and the payment of Widows and Orphans Pension (W&OP) to families of fallen war heroes was held today (May 30) at the Ministry of Defence under the patronage of Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd).

Discussions centered on a number of relevant issues including concerns related to the recruitment of Sri Lankan retired war veterans on payment basis for the Russo-Ukrainian war. Information on injured and killed Sri Lankan veterans was taken up and it was also discussed on possible future steps concerning the payment of pensions or widows and orphans contributions to retired war veterans and affected families.

Accordingly, the Defence Secretary instructed relevant officials to take necessary action to obtain accurate information on Sri Lankan military personnel involved in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict-those who went missing, died during the hostilities, or are currently being held as prisoners of war by both sides. He also requested the Director General of the Pensions Department to explore the possibility of establishing a pension scheme or other financial assistance program for these individuals, based on the information thus obtained.

In addition, the issues raised by retired war veterans and their families regarding the payment of pensions and widows and orphans contributions were also discussed during the Public Day Programme held at the Ministry of Defence on May 28 and 30. The Defence Secretary also instructed relevant officials to continue providing support and to take prompt action to resolve issues faced by retired and disabled war veterans.

The meeting was attended by Director General of the Pensions Department, senior Defence Ministry officials, tri-forces officers and several family members of Sri Lankans believed to have gone missing during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.