Samurdhi to expand

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The United People's Freedom Alliance Government, as pledged in the Mahinda Chintana will provide Samurdhi benefits to the poor who have not yet been given Samurdhi relief under a special programme to be implemented countrywide by the Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry from January 20.

The final decision to provide Samurdhi stamps to those left behind in the Samurdhi scheme as well as the increase in the Samurdhi benefits by 50 per cent recommended in the Mahinda Chintana were discussed at a special meeting between President Mahinda Rajapakse and Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi yesterday at Temple Trees.

The Government will provide guidelines to the Government Press to print new Samurdhi cards to immediately for distribution among all deserving low income families who have not obtained Samurdhi benefits, Wanniarachchi told the Daily News.

After Samurdhi subsidies are given to all the poor under Mahinda Chintana, an independent officer will also be appointed to conduct a special survey to look into the proper distribution of Samurdhi subsidies among new recipients, the Minister said.

"A survey by the Department of Census and Statistics has revealed that nearly 52 per cent representing the most deserving poor have not yet been given the Samurdhi subsidy.

The survey has further revealed that of the total 1.9 million Samurdhi beneficiary families, 20 per cent who are not qualified have fraudulently received the Samurdhi subsidy," she said.

The Ministry has set a January 5 deadline to enable those who have fraudulently obtained Samurdhi benefits to return their Samurdhi cards.

Those who voluntarily return their Samurdhi cards before January 5 will be further kept within the Samurdhi programme by providing them benefits given to Samurdhi beneficiaries such as credit facilities and social security benefits while allowing them to further contribute to the Samurdhi Housing lottery and continue their voluntary savings at Samurdhi banks.

"However the Government will completely halt benefits of those who fail to return Samurdhi cards before January 5. Samurdhi Development Officers will have a meeting of all Samurdhi Societies on December 27 to instruct the ineligible Samurdhi beneficiaries to return their Samurdhi cards," she said.

Compared with the Rs. 9,600 million allocated on the Samurdhi subsidy for 2005, the 2006 budget has allocated Rs. 12,200 million increasing the Samurdhi subsidy provided to Samurdhi beneficiaries by 50 per cent, she said.

The Ministry has also decided to increase the Rs. 1,500 monthly income eligibility ceiling to qualify for Samurdhi benefits up to Rs. 5,000.

The Ministry will grant Samurdhi subsidies to the poor in a transparent manner. This will help detect those not eligible to obtain Samurdhi.

These new initiatives taken by the Ministry will help extend the Samurdhi subsidy to a large number of deserving poor, Wanniarachchi said.