Samurdhi, a success story in Buttala

The Samurdhi beneficiaries in the Buttala area who obtained self-employment loans from the Samurdhi Bank at the concessionary rate of 14 percent have utilised their funds so successfully as to earn over Rs. 12000 per month enabling 20 of them to return their Samurdhi aid coupons to the Government.

This fact came to light when the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation, A. G. Jagath Pushpakumara visited the Buttala area to assess the economic progress among Samurdhi beneficiaries, recently.

The survey revealed that out of the 200 Samurdhi beneficiaries diverted to self-employment, 20 have performed extremely well. As self-employment enterprises, they have taken to production of soap, earthen ware, pantry cupboards, agricultural utensils and garments by utilising the capital of Rs. 5000 to Rs. 100,000 raised through self-employment loans.

Addressing a public gathering following his inspection tour, Deputy Minister Pushpakumara stated that the Samurdhi Movement does not mean a mere issue of an aid coupon but it has higher objectives such as identifying low income families and their skills in order to encourage them to achieve economic progress by their own efforts.

He further said that out of the total Rs.510 million received as Samurdhi allocation, 45 per cent is reserved as an indirect fund to raise the standard of living of the beneficiaries while 45 per cent is used to provide infrastructure facilities to them. The balance 10 per cent is spent to provide higher education and vocational training to the Samurdhi beneficiaries' children, said the Deputy Minister.

The Deputy Minister in the course of his tour commenced work on a series of developments projects including the water tanks in the villages of Udanganawa and Ganeyaya, supply of water to the Bhauddhaloka Pirivena, construction of two culverts along the Puhulkotuwa Road and Udugama Paddy Stores Road, and a public bathing well at Yatiyallatota.