Retired police to war front

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 October 1998, 20:25 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government has decided to recruit retired Policemen on condition of compulsory service in the war zones of the island's northeast for at least years.

According to a press communiqué issued by the Ministry of Defence this morning, Police sergeants, sergeant drivers, Police constables and constable drivers who left the Police service under the provisions of two retirement schemes initiated by the Sri Lankan government in 1988 and 1990.

The communiqué said that Policemen who retired under Ministry of Public Administration circulars no. 30/88 and 44/90 can rejoin the Police department if they were below 55 years at the time of their retirement and agree to the conditions that:

a) from the day of re-employment they would cease to get their pensions but would be paid salaries under the enhanced pay system for the Police.
b) they should agree to serve at least three years in the war zones.
c) pensions would be calculated according to their new scales.

The effort to enlist retired Policemen is part of the Sri Lankan government's current drive to send in more security forces personnel to fill the ranks depleted by desertion, injuries and deaths said analysts in Colombo, commenting on the MoD communiqué.