Fisheries officials file Fundamental Rights petition

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 June 2007, 16:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday fixed the inquiry for August 18 into the fundamental rights application filed by nine officials, Sinhalese and Tamil, of the Department of Fisheries that their seniority has been overlooked in promotions. The petitioners have further said that not a single Tamil officer has been summoned for the interview for the promotion to the post of Assistant Director of Fisheries although there are several qualified Tamils are working in the department, legal sources said.

The petition was listed before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Ms Shiranee Bandaranaike. Other members of the bench were Justices Mr.Salim Marsook and Mr.Andrew Somawanse. The bench accepted the FR petition for inquiry stating that all are equal under the law, legal sources said.

The petitioners including a Tamil and eight Sinhalese have prayed that the court should order that the Department of Fisheries has violated their fundamental rights by not summoning them for the interview for the posts of Assistant Director of Fisheries. Petitioners say that the Department of Fisheries have summoned officers who have no required qualification for the posts for the interview.

Petitioners further state that they have been working in the department for about thirty-two years and are qualified for promotion to the posts of Assistant Director of Fisheries.

Petitioners have cited the Chairman and members of the Public Services Commission, Fisheries Ministry Secretary Mr.G.Piyasena, Deputy Director General of Fisheries Mr.S.W.Pathirane, Commissioner General of Examinations and Attorney General as respondents.