News
GMOA swings into action on Vithana’s disclosure of MPs’ salaries, etc.
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has sought an explanation from Parliament regarding how PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is applied to parliamentarians.
GMOA Secretary Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa has written to the Secretary General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, in terms of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Information was sought on 09 July, 2025, in the wake of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Kalutara district parliamentarian Jagath Vithana posting his pay sheets from January to May this year on his Facebook.
In addition to information on PAYE, the GMOA has posed a number of other questions to the Secretary General regarding the parliamentarians’ salary as well as pensions.
Parliament passed the RTI Act on 24 June, 2016, and it came into effect on 03 February, 2017. This act, introduced through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, in 2015, is meant to promote transparency and accountability in government.
New controversy has erupted in the wake of Nawa Janatha Peramuna lodging a complaint with the CIABOC seeking an investigation into Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne abusing public property, a claim denied by the Secretary General of Parliament.
According to Vithana’s May pay sheet, his monthly allowance is Rs. 54,285, entertainment allowance Rs 1,000, telephone allowance Rs 50,000, sitting allowance Rs 5,000, office allowance Rs 100,000, fuel allowance Rs 97,428.92 and transport allowance Rs. 15,000. His take home pay is Rs 317, 760.92 after the deduction of Rs 1,200 for catering, stamp duty Rs. 25 and Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT).
Asked whether he regretted the releasing of pay sheets, lawmaker Vithana told The Island that in the run-up to the last parliamentary elections, held in November 2024, he had promised the Kalutara electorate he wouldn’t draw his salary. The MP said that however, he later felt the salary should be accepted and used in support of public welfare projects undertaken by him. “Therefore, the money was used appropriately,” he said, adding that both the government and Opposition MPs reacted with resentment. “I feel sort of isolated in Parliament. Hardly anyone talks to me,” MP Vithana said.
Dr. Sugathadasa said that having perused the pay sheets posted online, the GMOA had felt the urgent need to seek a clarification from Parliament as the lawmakers appeared to have received special status. The top GMOA official emphasised they wanted to establish the truth and used the RTI law to obtain information regarding the MPs’ salaries, pensions and other related information. “The GMOA made the request on 09 July, 2025. We are confident the Parliament will answer our queries,” Dr. Sugathadasa said.
Parliament meets only eight days a month. Attendance is not compulsory and there is no fixed time for lawmakers to attend sittings. Over the years, sittings have been suspended for lack of quorum.
The Island asked the GMOA official whether they would seek the intervention of the RTI Commission in case the Parliament declined to reveal the information sought by them. Dr. Sugathadasa said that the Executive Committee of the GMOA would decide the course of action if Parliament withheld information.
A few years ago Chamara Sampath, of Wijeya Newspapers, successfully moved the Court of Appeal against the Parliament after the latter refused to disclose names of Members of Parliament (MPs) who had handed over their respective declarations of assets and liabilities in 2018 and list of names of MPs who have handed over their Declarations from 2010 to the time he made the request (21 June, 2018).
The Court on 28 February, 2023, reaffirmed the RTI Commission’s stand that Declarations of Assets and Liabilities Law of 1975 (DALL) didn’t prevail over the Right to Information Act no. 12 of 2016 (RTI Act).
According to the Parliament website, an MP is paid Rs. 54,285, entertainment allowance Rs 1,000, driver’s allowance Rs 3,500 (only if driver is not provided by government). Fuel allowances are paid based on the distance from Parliament to the electoral district which each MP was elected and the approved market price of one litre of diesel on the first day of every month, telephone allowance Rs 50,000, transport allowance for personal staff Rs 10,000, and stamps worth Rs 350,000 issued to each MP annually.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Manipay police have arrested two persons in connection with the ongoing investigation into the killing of a person who returned from Switzerland recently.
The suspects were apprehended in the Tellippalai area.
Police said that following the killing, gold jewellery and other valuables had been robbed. Police believe that the suspect had come to buy jewellery on the invitation of the victim and then killed him before making off the gold.
The incident took place on o6 June. The suspects were to be produced before the Jaffna Magistrate.
By Dinasena Ratugamage
The Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Chennai, Dr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran, attended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the University of Vavuniya, Sri Lanka and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) on 29 May 2026 at IIT Madras.
The delegation from the University of Vavuniya was led by Vice-Chancellor, Prof. A. Atputharajah, and included Acting Registrar, R. Jeyakumar; Bursar, L. Ram Ramanan; Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, Janaki Thevaruban; Dean of the Faculty of Technological Studies, V. Senthooran; Representative of the Faculty of Applied Science, N. Edwin Linosh and Director of the Centre for International Affairs, Dr. Koperunthevy Kalainathan.
The MoU marks a significant step towards strengthening academic cooperation, research collaboration, student and faculty exchanges, and institutional partnerships between the two higher education institutions.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Geathiswaran congratulated both institutions on this important milestone and highlighted the growing educational and people-to-people ties between Sri Lanka and India. He expressed confidence that the partnership would create valuable opportunities for innovation, knowledge sharing, and academic excellence, further enhancing bilateral cooperation in higher education.
The Free Lawyers’ organisation has opposed the government’s move to increase the retirement age of Appeals Court and Supreme Court judges through a constitutional amendment.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the association noted that it had taken serious note of the government’s proposal to extend the retirement age of Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court judges, currently set at 63 and 65 years respectively by a further two years through a constitutional amendment.
It also pointed out that there are currently eight vacancies in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and alleged that the President has failed for a prolonged period to fill these positions, despite being constitutionally required to do so.
The organisation further stated that this failure could be considered a serious constitutional breach, which could even form the basis for an impeachment motion against the President.
It also highlighted that a large number of cases are currently pending before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. It emphasised that, in order to expedite justice, not only should court infrastructure be improved, but judicial vacancies must also be filled promptly to speed up hearings.
However, the group warned that extending the service period of judges, while neglecting these essential measures, would not help reduce delays in court proceedings.
It further alleged that the government’s move to extend the retirement age of judges, while ignoring these key issues, raises strong suspicions of having underlying motives.
The organisation also warned that such actions could raise serious questions regarding the independence of the judiciary.
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