The President of the Sri Lanka United Grama Niladhari Association, Nandana Ranasinghe, said that all Grama Niladharis will withdraw from the process of paying an allowance of five lakh rupees for houses partially damaged due to the cyclone.
He pointed out that the new circular issued regarding the payment of this allowance has serious shortcomings and risks, due to which the associations of Divisional Secretaries, Assistant Divisional Secretaries and Government Accountants have already withdrawn from these activities.
The Chairman also stated that due to this, the entire responsibility of paying the allowances has been placed on the Grama Niladharis. He said that the Grama Niladharis have decided to withdraw from these activities considering the existing risks.
According to the circular, no clear assessment or criteria have been given, and the authorities have not clarified whether the full amount of five lakh rupees should be paid even if a line is damaged in a wall of a house or a plate on the roof is damaged.
He emphasizes that since government funds are subject to audit, Grama Niladharis cannot take responsibility for audit issues that arise in the future by making payments without the assistance of technical officers and proper assessment.
According to the existing circular, unauthorized residents are also entitled to receive this compensation of five hundred thousand. On the one hand, the Chairman also points out that there is a risk that their residence will be legalized through this compensation payment while legal action is being taken to evict them.
He emphasizes that there is no formal guideline on whether the compensation is due to the residents or the homeowners in the event of damage to a rented house.
The Chairman of the Sri Lanka United Grama Niladhari Association, Nandana Ranasinghe, emphasized that Grama Niladharis are not able to participate in these compensation payment activities without the assistance of technical officers and a formal assessment, and accordingly, the entire Grama Niladharis are withdrawing from these activities.