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by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The income level of the 2 million Samurdhi beneficiary families in 21 districts will be reviewed to empower them and grant Samurdhi benefits evenly under the 100 Day program of the UNF Government, Samurdhi Minister R. A. D. Sirisena said yesterday.

Committees have been appointed at Divisional Secretariat level for this purpose comprising Grama Niladhari, Samurdhi Development Officer and three distinguished people from the voluntary organisations in the respective area, he said.

Addressing a news conference at his Ministry, he said a document will be prepared for each Samurdhi family scattered in Divisional Secretariat Divisions to identify accurate information on them.

At present information on Samurdhi families are gained from the statements made by them individually. Sometimes they make false statements for their own benefit. This system has failed to gather accurate information on Samurdhi families, he said.

In order to rectify this error, initiatives were taken to prepare a document in respect of each Samurdhi family to strengthen the Samurdhi movement by identifying the genuinely poor. This would also help to identify people who obtain Samurdhi benefits fraudulently, he said.

The Minister said: "In addition to this 2 million Samurdhi families, there are about 30 percent genuinely poor families in this country who could not enter the Samurdhi movement due to various political reasons. Therefore this review will facilitate to identify such poor and provide them the opportunity to gain Samurdhi assistance."

Under the 100-Day program of the UNF Government, 1000 Samurdhi families will be economically empowered. "As the Minister in charge of Samurdhi I hope to visit Divisional Secretariat divisions and look into the problems of Samurdhi families personally."

A Samurdhi Housing Development Project will be implemented during the middle of this month to overcome the shelter problems of Samurdhi families. A Samurdhi lottery will be introduced for Samurdhi families to implement this program in a more productive manner.

During the 100-Day program, 500 houses will be constructed for Samurdhi families. This program will continue further and the objective of the Ministry is to build a total of 150 houses monthly, the Minister said.

He said a special nutrition program will also be launched to overcome malnutrition among the poor. The program aims to provide milk to the poor at fair prices.

Meanwhile District Coordinating Officers have been educated to inquire into the complaints regarding the Samurdhi scheme received from each Divisional Secretariat division immediately. The prime objective of the Government is to transform the Samurdhi Ministry into one of the most efficient Ministries, he said.

Complaints have been made to the effect that the Samurdhi movement has been highly politicised during the past few years. Therefore immediate measures will also be taken to depoliticise the movement. We have requested the Samurdhi Development Officers to rectify their errors and work according to the agenda of the new Government, he said.

The Government will not seek any political revenge from the Samurdhi Development Officers. If there are any complaints against them, they will be directed to the administrative section. The only request we make to the community is to lend their support to rectify the errors in the Samurdhi movement, the Minister added.

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