Divineguma, a boon to poor - Douglas

Divineguma was introduced to alleviate poverty, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda said.

The minister participating as the Chief Guest at a meeting of Samurdhi officials and beneficiaries at Atchuveli Rajamanickckam Hall in connection with the Samurdhi Flag Day, said when the government tabled the Divineguma Draft Bill in Parliament, the opposition including the TNA opposed it.

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda hands in conversation with a Samurdhi official at a ceremony at the Samurdhi Flag Day at Atchuveli Rajamanickckam Hall

"The Bill was however passed with over a two thirds majority in Parliament," he said. Devanada said under the Divineguma Department, several other programmes including the Samurdhi project deemed essential to rid poverty were being implemented by the government.

The minister said if the Divineguma Draft Bill was not passsed in Parliament, more than 55,000 families in the North alone would have been deprived of benefits under this programme.

"The TNA aware of this resorted to the anti-people move," Devananda said.

The minister said the Samurdhi programme was implemented in the Jaffna district during the conflict period following his initiatives and many families were reaping the benefits under this scheme.

He said a tremendous volume of work could be done to improve the living standard of the war battered people through the Divineguma programme.

"The government is willing to help implement the Samurdhi programme not only in the Jaffna district, but also in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts through the Divineguma programme. While the government was moving ahead with the aim of developing the country, the self - centred TNA was busy with their agenda to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the country, especially in the North and East," Devananda said.

Government Agent Jaffna Sundaram Arumainayagam and Jaffna district MP Sylvestri Allentin also spoke.

Jaffna district Samurdhi Commissioner M Maheshwaran also participated.