SAMURDHI SHOULD BE USED TO HELP THE POOR TO COME OUT OF POVERTY: RANAWAKA

Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) General Secretary and Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday that the Samurdhi programme should be used to help the poor to come out of poverty rather than a move to distribute relief to Unpers and SLFPERS.

Speaking at the JHU May Day rally in Colombo, he said even though only 6 per cent in Sri Lanka was in extreme poverty, one third of the families receive Samurdhi allowance.

“We are a middle income country right now. One third of the families receive Samurdhi allowance whereas only 6% are at extreme poverty line. We need to initiate a programme to eradicate extreme poverty of these people. The Samurdhi movement should be used to rescue the poor from poverty rather than a mover to distribute relief to Unpers and SLFPERS,” he said.

Mr. Ranawaka said Colombo would be made a city without shanties by 2023 and added that 20,000 housing units would be handed over to needy people in Colombo by 2020.

He said the country’s governance should be brought under a scientific manner.

“The needs of the country should be identified. The country has faced crisis in several areas by not adopting to this method. The energy sector has faced crisis due to this. This is vital in constructing Express ways as well,” he said.

He said a scientific government should be brought into power in 2020, which would give priority to skills rather than family based politics.