Children benefit from tsunami fund

Uditha Kumarasinghe and Irangika Range

Chief Government Whip Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardana told parliament yesterday that the special fund established to meet the expenses of children who lost their parents or guardians due to the tsunami disaster has spent Rs. 37 million on behalf of 689 affected children.

his fund has been established under the Mahinda Chinthana policy statement. It has been stated that a special fund of Rs. 500 million will be set up to meet the expenses of children throughout the country who lost their parents or guardians due to the tsunami catastrophe, he said.

Under this fund, a special savings scheme named “Senehasa Iturum Ginum” has been introduced with effect from February 2006 to assist these children which is being implemented under the Child Development and Women Empowerment Ministry, he said.

“Senehasa Iturum Ginum” has already relief to 689 children who lost their parents or guardians due to the tsunami provided Rs. 1500 per month is being deposited via the People’s Bank behalf of each child and this will be continued until they are 18. The expenditure borne up to now on this account is Rs. 37 million.

In addition to this program the National Child Development Fund was established by the Child Development and Women Empowerment Ministry in August 2007 for provision of financial assistance to children who have been deprived of their parents as well as children who have been rendered unable to continue their education due to economic hardships.

t present 515 children receive financial benefits under this scheme including the children who have lost their parents due to tsunami disaster.

The minister was responding to an oral question raised by JVP MP Premasiri Manage.