Responding to a question raised by UNP National List MP Anoma Gamage, the minister said that it had been found that some divisional secretariats had been maintaining two files for pensioners to fraud the pension payments.

A large scale investigation had been commenced by the government to find those responsible for the fraud of pension funds, and the investigation had resulted in saving massive amount of funds, the minister said.

Minister Seneviratne said that there had been delays in paying pensions to the pensioners who had been failed to update their files and the task of updating took some time. It is the expectation of the ministry to settle all the payments due to the pensioners by the end of this year. Around 25,000 public servants retire from their services a year. There were anomalies in the amount of payments paid to the public servants who had retired before the year 2006. The government would pay their arrears soon, he added. (Special Reporter/HC)