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| Thursday, 9 December 2004 |
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by Uditha Kumarasinghe Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said the maiden budget presented by the UPFA Government has been more people friendly creating avenues to solicit the contribution of people towards the country's economic development. The Minister made these observations at a ceremony held at the National Youth Centre, Maharagama to hand over appointment letters to a group of Samurdhi Development Officers of Colombo district who have been absorbed into the permanent cadre. The budget has placed confidence in the people's strength and the ways and means of seeking their contribution towards development. Therefore the Samurdhi Movement has a more responsible role to play to make this attempt to a reality, she said. The Minister said: "Earlier,the Government had 105 seats in Parliament. However this number has been increased to 127 at this budget. This shows the stability of the UPFA Government." The responsibility of assisting the poor from their poverty has been vested to the Samurdhi Development Officers. Therefore time has come to refrain the country from poverty by understanding this prime responsibility. "Unless we fail to fulfil this national requirement, various complaints will be made urging that the Samurdhi as a national movement has failed to uplift the nation. The UNF Government attempted to create a wrong picture on the Samurdhi Movement," the Minister said. The former UNF Government through presenting Social Welfare Act tried to cut down the Samurdhi subsidy given to a large number of deserving poor. If this Bill was implemented and a Samurdhi officer has given relief to a family who is earning a monthly income of more than Rs. 1500, there is possibility of sending that officer to jail for five years. But the question arises how a family can be run by a Rs. 1500 monthly income. This clearly indicates that the former UNF Government implemented World Bank recommendations to the letter by agreeing to implement this Act. The UPFA Government stopped the operation of this Act. At present I have given necessary guidelines to amend this Act. The UPFA Government has clearly stated that the Government is not in a position to cut down the subsidies given to the poor and not to send officials to jail, the Minister said. |
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