• Monday declared public day to meet NITF Chair 

National Insurance Trust Fund (NITF) Chairperson, Attorney Sagala Abeywickrama yesterday (21) said that the NITF is to introduce a series of programmes to expedite the delay in paying Agrahara insurance scheme payments to its beneficiaries.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday, she also said that the NITF has taken steps to name Monday as a public day and that Agrahara beneficiaries can submit their issues with regard to the Agrahara insurance scheme to the Chairperson of the NITF personally.

Abeywickrama further noted that they are working on resuming their work which has been affected by the ongoing economic crisis, adding however, that the NITF will not allow any inconvenience to be caused. 

“There are a total of 1.8 million public servants in Sri Lanka. Except for the employees working in the armed forces, all the other public servants are entitled to benefit from Agrahara insurance. There are challenges in operating within the prevailing financial difficulties, but we are making every possible effort to give the benefit to public servants to the best of our capacity,” she added.

She also said that the NITF receives a number of public grievances regarding the delay in making payments but that immediate steps are to be taken to expedite the mechanism. 

“We receive around 1,500 requests from public servants all around the country but around 750 requests are incomplete. This is also a reason for this delay. After understanding this situation, we took measures to name Monday as our public day and anyone can meet me personally at the office on that day and present their issues,” she said. Abeywickrama further said that any person who is unable to meet her personally can contact her through the mobile number 0773646900, only on Mondays.