The trade union (TU) action launched by the Officers on Ditwah Duties Integrated TU Alliance, comprising Grama Niladharis (GNs), Disaster Relief Officers (DROs), and Technical Officers (TOs), over several demands including allowances, responsibility for compensation payments, and working conditions, continues island-wide.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (3), the GN Officers’ TU Alliance Convenor, Jagath Chandralal said that they had withdrawn from all Ditwah-related duties from 27 February, adding that nearly 99 per cent of GNs, DROs, and TOs are participating in the TU action.

He said that the officers had been continuously engaged in disaster relief duties since November of last year (2025) but had not been provided with adequate allowances or resources to carry out their responsibilities. “We have been working hard to provide relief to the affected people, but, there has been no proper appreciation or recognition of our work. The main issue is the lack of sufficient allowances and facilities,” he said.

Chandralal added that the GNs, DROs, and TOs were previously provided with a daily allowance ranging between Rs. 500 and Rs. 800 for a maximum of 10 days per month under a circular issued in 2019. "However, those payments were made only until 15 December 2025, when the disaster situation was officially declared over. Since then, there has been no additional allowance, we are still engaging in Ditwah-related duties."

He further raised concerns over the Government’s decision to grant Rs. 500,000 in compensation without a proper assessment of the damages. “Under the current circular, a person who has suffered damage worth Rs. 500,000 receives that amount, but, even someone whose damage is only around Rs. 10,000 is given the same compensation. When such payments are made, audits will be conducted later, and when another Government comes into power, it is we who will have to face the consequences,” he said. 

He said that they had requested the Defence Ministry to formally declare that GNs, DROs, and TOs would not be held responsible for issues arising from the compensation process. However, he said that such assurances had not yet been provided. “They have placed the responsibility on us. We discussed these issues with the relevant authorities, who promised to issue clear directives regarding the Rs. 500,000 allowance and to provide a daily allowance of Rs. 2,500. These promises were made more than five weeks ago, they have still not been implemented."

Speaking further, Chandralal said that officers are expected to continue disaster relief duties for at least another year, noting that displaced persons are still living in camps in several areas and that officers are required to make significant efforts to maintain relief operations. “We should be provided with an allowance covering the entire period of Ditwah duties. Until then, we have withdrawn from all Ditwah-related responsibilities,” he said.

Meanwhile, the All Island Disaster Relief Officers’ Association President, M.G.P. Upul Kumara told The Daily Morning that officers are seeking a continuous additional allowance until disaster-related duties are concluded. “We request an additional allowance to be paid continuously until these duties end. There should also be a separate allowance for field visits,” he said, pointing out that officers currently receive a travelling allowance of Rs. 3,000, which he said is insufficient even under normal circumstances. “Nowadays, we have to visit households frequently, and the existing allowance does not cover the expenses,” he said, adding that circulars governing the Rs. 500,000 compensation payment lacked clarity.