Responding to a question raised by UNP National List MP Tissa Attanayake, the minister said as at January 2014, there were 14,256 retired public servants on the waiting list to obtain the gratuity from the Department of Pensions.

The minister said that there had been curtain delays in paying the pension gratuities and the delayed period of time ranged from two months to two years. The delays are caused owing to the needs of updating the files of the pensioners, verifying the details pertaining to transfers and salary increments received by the pensioners during their service periods etc. The release of the pension gratuity is done via the Department of Pensions, District and Divisional Secretariats and that task may take around six to seven months.

The minister said that actions had been taken to avoid the delays by issuing circulars to expedite this process. The treasury annually allocated funds to make gratuity payments to the retired public servants. Accordingly the treasury allocated Rs 16,000 million in 2011, Rs 15,000 million in 2012, Rs 18,650 in 2013 and Rs 15,000 million in 2014 for the said purpose, Minister Seneviratne said. (Special Reporter)