Jana Pubuduwa programme, new milestone in the Samurdhi Project - Minister of Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation

The"Jana Pubuduwa Programme is introduced as a new milestone in the Samurdhi Project, which benefited about 1.8 million poor people in Sri Lanka," said the Minister of Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Pavithra Wanniarachchi, The Minister disclosed this, at a Special seminar held to the Samurdhi Officers in the Kalutara district to make them aware about the Jana Pubuduwa Programme at Town Hall, Kalutara on 09th June.

She also said, supplying of entrepreneur loans or any aid are not the only ways to eradicate the poverty of a person, but the Government has responsibility to provide technical guidance to them, and a good market for their products and Jana Pubuduwa concept started to benefit the Samurdhi recipients, with the advice of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

About 1035 Samurdhi Banks have been established all over the country to benefit about 09 million Samurdhi recipients in Sri Lanka. Thus, about 24,000 Government Officers are appointed as Samurdhi Development Officers and Samurdhi Managers to serve the poor people, the Minister added.

She further said, the responsibility and the duty of the Samurdhi Officers is to help the Government's effort to make the Samurdhi Programme a poverty alleviation programme more beneficial to the poor people.

Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunication, Rohitha Abeygunawardane, Secretary, Ministry of Samurdhi and the Director-General of the Samurdhi Authority also participated in this event.