‘Samurdhi’ heads to north and east

By Uditha Jayasinghe

In an attempt to reduce poverty to three per cent by 2016, the Government is expanding handouts to the poor and for the first time encompassing the former war zones in the north and east.

At present the Government gives handouts under a poverty alleviation programme titled ‘Samurdhi’ to about 1.5 million families countrywide.A further 100,000 families are expected to be added to this once the Government starts handouts to families in the North and Eastern Provinces that were hardest hit by the three-decade war.  “In 2011 poverty was reduced to 7.9 per cent and the Government has targeted a drop to three per cent by 2016. From 2010 to 2011, the recipients dropped by four per cent. We have allocated Rs. 12.3 billion in handouts for 2012 and plan micro finance schemes to encourage self-employment,” Acting Economic Development Minister LakshmanYapaAbeywardana said.

When questioned as to how the Government can say that poverty is reducing if 1.6 million families out of around five million families in Sri Lanka are ‘Samurdhi’ recipients, the Minister responded that the system was faulty and around four per cent of those getting the handout did not need it.  Currently ‘Samurdhi’ officials are evaluating residents in the north and east including resettled people and will select them according to eight criteria. This is one of the four prongs in the Government’s strategy to bring development to grass-root level.

The other three include an ambitious road and bridge development project which will see 210 bridges constructed countrywide with numerous secondary road projects.The Ministry will also allocate Rs. 1 million for each GramaNiladari Division encompassing some 14,000 areas. The Government will also allocate Rs.15 million to each Provincial Councils to oversee development in its region.  ‘DiviNeguma’ will also be expanded to the north and east in due course.