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Special project for Samurdhi widows

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

A survey conducted by the Samurdhi Ministry and the Department of the Commissioner General of Samurdhi, has revealed that of the total number of 1,936,000 Samurdhi beneficiary families, 21,000 are headed by widows deserted by their husbands.

The Samurdhi Ministry has implemented a special project to help improve the socio-economic conditions of widows in Samurdhi families and provide them with medical and legal assistance, Agriculture, Livestock and Samurdhi Minister S.B.Dissanayake said.

The Minister said the objective of the project is to identify these families at district level and provide training to them for self- employment. The project will also assist women to commence self employment ventures to uplift their living conditions.

Most widows have sought assistance and instructions for agriculture, animal husbandry, confectionary and retailing. They have also requested equipment such as sewing machines, water pumps and machines used to produce coconut oil. The Samurdhi Ministry will immediately responsed to these requests, he said.

Dissanayake said the Samurdhi movement will look into the socio-economic problems of the deserted women and take responsibility for improving the living conditions of their families. But they should be committed and dedicated to achieve their goals.

As a result of widows engaging in manual labour, the education of their children may be curtailed. In order to overcome this situation, each widow should engage in a self employment venture relating to agriculture or animal husbandry sectors. This would enable the children to pursue their education without any hindrance, he said.

Steps will be taken to increase the current 50 per cent curd production to 100 per cent. In order to encourage chicken and egg exports, a Rs.22 incentive will be given to each Kilo of exported chicken and 70 cents will be paid for each egg exported.

Each low income family should attempt to increase the income by using these incentives given for the animal husbandry sector, the Minister said.

The Minister said action will be taken to cultivate arable lands scattered throughout the country through a new Bill due to be approved in Parliament next January.

These lands will be vested in those who are interested in cultivating them. They will only be granted the right to cultivate in that land. Priority will be given to the women deserted by their husbands in granting these lands.

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