Samurdhi for three new Northern districts

Ravi Ladduwahetty

The government will soon provide Samurdhi benefits for three new Northern Districts – Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mannar and the other liberated areas in the North.

“The decision to provide Samurdhi benefits to these Northern areas have been taken by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa which will give them equal opportunities as the rest of the country. we will proceed with these allocations soon,” Deputy Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.

He said that this benefit would also add to the series of funding schemes in operation for the benefit of these residents now that the region is free from terrorism. The people of these districts are bound to gain from these funding schemes unlike in the past where all assistance provided was plundered by the LTTE, he said.

The Economic Development Ministry is conducting a census in those districts to assess as to how many people are eligible for Samurdhi, so that the government could decided on the value of the allocations for the programme, the deputy minister said.