Govt. decides to increase spending on police welfare, including new meal allowance

By Saman Indrajith

The government had decided to increase allowances and batta payments for police personnel and to introduce a meal allowance for them, Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament yesterday.

Responding to a question by Kurunegala District SJB MP Shantha Bandara, retired Rear Admiral Weerasekera said that a Cabinet subcommittee had been appointed for that purpose.

MP Shantha Bandara said that the former government had increased batta payments for policemen but stopped the scheme.

Minister Weerasekera said at present a Police Constable received Batta payment between Rs. 9,800-11,200 while a Chief Inspector and higher ranked officers receive a batta payment of Rs.14,000 per month.

The Minister added the Ministerial the Cabinet sub-committee had been instructed to determine the amount to be increased in batta payments.

Minister Weerasekera said that there were 494 police stations in the country and 62 new stations had been set up since 2008. Currently, seven new stations were under construction and 10 stations were being modernised. The modernised stations would have their toilets and barracks renovated as per the guidelines of the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau.

There were 427 barracks to be constructed and 321 had already been renovated to cater to the increased number of policemen during the recent past, the minister said.