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Mano asks UK backing for upcountry Tamil community to achieve their rightful place here

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan, MP, has urged Maya Sivagnanam, Deputy Director of the South Asia Region Department of Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and High Commissioner Sarah Hulton to facilitate their full integration into what he called the Sri Lankan national mainstream polity as ‘full citizens’. The former National Integration Minister said that Britain should use its good offices with the government here to help us to achieve this Sri Lankan goal”.
“The element of British responsibility begins from the fact that the British crown government started bringing us into this country from South India 200 years ago. Since then our people had put in unprecedented hard work and developed the most profitable plantation export industry in then Ceylon and now Sri Lanka.”
TPA leader Ganesan told, Maya Sivagnanam, the FCDO’s Deputy Director of the South Asia Region Department and High Commissioner Sarah Hulton when he and Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) general secretary minister Jeevan Thondaman met British Diplomats at Westminster house, Colombo.
Mano Ganesan also said:
“But in return, our citizenship and franchise rights to vote were taken away in 1948. Our people were forcibly sent to India from 1964 by Sirima- Shasthri Pact.”
“Hence, His Majesty’s government of Britain today has a moral responsibility towards the wellbeing of our community”
“Please don’t leave it to GoSL and Gov of India only. Indians too have their obligation and responsibility towards us. India is using its good offices, alright, but that’s not enough. We suffer being sidelined from the national mainstream. We require British support too. We strive to achieve just sociopolitical lost grounds within an undivided Sri Lanka.”
“Not less than one third of our community lives in the plantations. They are the most under privileged vulnerable segment of Sri Lanka. The surveys done by UN organizations, WB, ICRC and UNHRC special Rapporteur confirm this sad reality. We request the Government of UK to support our vulnerable segment on Affirmative Action principles.”
“All what we want is for you to help us to become more into Sri Lankan national polity. We wanted to become full citizens. Please use your good offices with GoSL on our behalf.”
The former minister said that British policy should recognize the underlying fact that Sri Lanka is Incomplete without our community.
News
Presidents’ Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986 and the Parliamentary Pensions Law, No. 1 of 1977 to be amended

In par with the “Pohosath Ratak – Lassana Jeewithayak” (A wealthy country – a beautiful life) policy declaration presented to the public by the current government, the citizens have given a mandate to the government to repeal the special benefits given to the former Presidents and their families and to cancel the pension provided to the Members of Parliament 05 years after their tenure.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to instruct the Legal Draftsmen to formulate 02 draft bills to amend the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986 and the Parliamentary Pensions Law, No. 1 of 1977; so that cancelling the special benefits granted to former Presidents and their families as well as cancelling the pension of the Members of Parliament will be possible.
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Elderly citizens to get 3% more interest for FDs

As proposed in the budget speech for the year 2025, the government has decided to implement a special fixed deposit scheme for senior citizens.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Plan Implementation and Economic Development to implement the proposed special fixed deposit scheme as follows:
• To implement this scheme for fixed deposits opened within the period from 01.07.2025 to 31.12.2025 by Sri Lankan citizens of age 60 years or more.
• The period of the fixed deposit is 12 months (one year) and, the maximum deposit value is rupees one million.
• Payment of the higher value from the value when a 3% of additional annual amount to the average weighted fixed deposits rate (AWFDR) or the value when a 3% addition is made to the declared fixed deposit interest rate.
• Allocation of rupees 30 billion for payment of interest relief for this whole programme
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