MP criticises discriminatory salary scales

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 May 1999, 19:48 GMT]
The Ministry of Cultural and Religious Affairs has a different salary scale for its Sinhala and Tamil medium cultural officers, said Mr. Sambanthan, member of Parliament for the Trincomalee district and General Secretary for the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in a letter sent to the Minister of Cultural and Religious Affairs, Mr Lakshman Jeyakody.

While the starting salary of a Sinhala medium cultural officer is Rs.63,240 with a maximum salary of Rs.86, 400 and fifteen increments of Rs.1560, the starting salary of a Tamil medium cultural officer is only Rs.52,000 leading up to a final salary of Rs.76,860 with nine increments of Rs.1320 and eight of Rs.1560, said the letter.

"The above discrepancy in the salary scales for cultural officers attached your ministry cannot by justified on any ground", stated Mr. Sambanthan.

Mr.Sampanthan pointed out in his letter that the qualifications required for the posts of Sinhala and Tamil medium officers are the same and asked that immediate steps be taken to place Tamil cultural officers on the same scale as their Sinhala counterparts.

(I US $ is approximately 70 Rupees)