Colombo, March 17 (IANS) Sri Lanka's opposition alliance United National Front (UNF) has said it will raise the salaries of government employees if it comes to power in the April 8 parliamentary election, Xinhua reported.

The UNF is led by Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP).

In its poll manifesto, released Tuesday, the UNF pledged a hike of rupees 10,000 (about $87) in the salaries of government employees.

The salary will be increased gradually from a hike of rupees 3,500 with immediate effect, UNF leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters.

The front will also ask the private sector to do so if it comes to power, he said, adding that human resource is prioritised in the manifesto as the economy depended on it.

Leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (a member party of the UNF) and former legislator Rauff Hakeem said the first thing the UNF government would do after coming to power would be to exonerate opposition's common presidential candidate General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, who is in military custody at present.