Samurdhi shocker from NCP

Nimal WIJESINGHE, Anuradhapura Additional district group correspondent

ANURADHAPURA: Families with monthly incomes ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 30,000 a month are among the Samurdhi recipients in the North Central Province, a Daily News survey revealed.

It is learned that some Samurdhi beneficiaries possess tractors, motorcycles, businesses and industries while enjoying benefits offered by the Government to Samurdhi recipients.

The statistics reveal that 94,483 families are eligible to Samurdhi benefits in the North Central Province. The Government spends Rs. 450 million annually to provide these families with Samurdhi benefits.

Some senior citizens told the Daily News that according to statistics at the recent census by the State, 23 per cent of the population in North Central Province have incomes below the poverty line whereas the percentage of Samurdhi recipients in the province is 46 per cent.

If the statistics of the Department of Census is correct, only about 55,000 families should be in the Samurdhi slot, instead of 94,483 families.

The Daily News survey indicated that most of the families who receive benefits under Samurdhi, stick to it, as they get priority in getting bank loans, state lands, housing aid, distress allowances and a cluster of other benefits and advantages.

In certain rural areas, a large number of ineligible persons draw Samurdhi on false information provided to the Divisional Secretariates.

The statistics reveal that since 1995 to date the names of only 29,000 families have been dropped from the Samurdhi recipients’ list.