ELIGIBILITY OF SAMURDHI RECIPIENTS TO BE PROBED

The government has decided to inquire into the eligibility of Samurdhi recipients numbering more than 1.4 million spread all over the island in receiving this benefit.

The government has arrived at this decision as many complaints being received on nonpayment of Samurdhi benefits to those who had fulfilled all necessary requirements, but being paid to others who had not fulfilled the necessary requirements.

The subject of Samurdhi had been under the purview of the SLFP led government for a long time and more than 200,000 complaints had been received by the authorities from the members of the UNP and other political parties.

All injustices caused in the allocation of Samurdhi entitlements are to be rectified as instructed by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the Minister of Social empowerment P.harrison, since the vesting of the subject of Samurdhi with the UNP. In order to avoid the large scale irregularities caused in the disbursement of Samurdhi funds, the subject of Samurdhi would operate under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Finance.

On obtaining information on families that have been receiving Samurdhi benefits despite not possessing the basic requirements, within the next four months through the divisional secretariats, new families who qualify for this entitlement would be chosen as Samurdhi beneficiary families, Minister Harrison opined.