Rs. 5,000 m for 14,000 Samurdhi projects
 

by Jayasiri Munasinghe

Following a Government decision, the Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry has been given an allocation of Rs.5000 million to implement 14,000 projects to renovate dilapidated roads, bridges, culverts, wells and other infrastructure facilities in remote rural areas throughout the country.

The programme will start on July 15, with each of the projects being allocated between Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 to be utilised expeditiously to cover the programme within one week.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has directed the Samurdhi Ministry to implement these projects under strict and systematic surveillance. A committee was appointed under the Chairmanship of Finance and Planning Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama to give proper guidance.

Addressing the Development Committee at the Finance and Planning Ministry, Dr. Sarath Amunugama stressed that the Samurdhi movement which is the largest mechanism in Asia to alleviate poverty should be more active from the grassroots level of the Samurdhi Society members right up to the Divisional Secretaries and District Secretaries including the rank and file of the State officials in order to accelerate the rate of poverty alleviation.

Ministers John Seneviratne, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Chief Ministers Mahipala Herat, Sarath Ekanayake, Vijithamuni de Zoysa, Deputy Ministers T.B.Ekanayake, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Dilan Perera, Salinda Dissanayake and MPs Dr.Mervin Silva, Chandana Kathriarachchi, Asoka Lankathilaka and Kumari Balasuriya, who are members of the Committee took part in the discussion.