Bandula is hallucinating charges – Harsha

Says even to escape extreme poverty an individual needs Rs 3,329 a month

UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday charged that Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena is hallucinating.

De Silva’s comments were in response to Minister Gunawardena’s assertion that a family of three could live an income of Rs. 2,500.

Following is UNP’s statement.

The official poverty line (OPL) for February 2012 is Rs. 3,329 a month.  Calculated by the Department of Census and Statistics based on the 2002 Household Income and Expenditure Survey and adjusted for inflation over the years this amount indicates the bare minimum expenditure that must be incurred by a person to consume sufficient food and purchase non-food goods and services to stay out of abject poverty.  The monthly figure works out to mere Rs. 111 a day or US cents 85.  This amount is even below the USD 1 per day extreme poverty used in low-income countries and way below the USD 2 per day used in slightly better off developing countries, which Sri Lanka as a middle income country should perhaps use.  Nevertheless the Rs. 111 per day OPL is made up of the monthly expenditure needed to consume just sufficient food to obtain 2,030kilocalaries per day and absolutely essential non-food expenditure including shelter, clothing, medicine and energy to prepare purchased food.  Therefore to say that Rs. 2,500 per month or Rs. 83 a day is more than sufficient for an individual to live comfortably is unacceptable.  

Minister Bandula Gunawardene’s challenge for a debate on this matter is irrelevant, childish and a waste of time.  It is of no consequence to the people of this country that certain ministers and senior officials of this government have become the laughing stock but what is unpardonable is that the unwise actions of such people bringing misery to the population.  We hope that next time around the voting population of this country would do what is necessary to bring in a UNP government that could deliver on the promise to create a prosperous post-war Sri Lanka."