If mistakes and shortcomings have occurred in the selection of Aswesuma recipients it will be rectified and no disabled persons or low- income persons will be left behind, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament yesterday.
The Prime Minister said that this welfare programme has been included in the IMF agreement to protect the low income earners and said that the President has given a very clear pledge that he hopes to expand it.
The Prime Minister said that the aim of the program is to provide benefits to a larger number of low-income earners than before, and that the time for submitting appeals has not ended yet.
The Prime Minister said this while responding to the statements made by several MPs that there were shortcomings in the selection of low-income beneficiaries for the “Aswesuma relief programme.
The survey to select the low income earners to this programme was implemented in the last few months. Since some officers did not participate in it, we had to recruit qualified youth on a voluntary basis. Accordingly, the welfare board has completed the first round of that challenge with our government officials across the country.
This welfare program has been included for the protection of low-income earners in the last budget document and in the IMF agreement which was presented and approved by our Parliament. If there are any shortcomings in the survey, such as if the rich have qualified for the benefits, we need to rectify that.
Low income earners and people suffering from various diseases cannot be removed in any way from this programme. Therefore, the time for filing appeals in this matter is still running. It is the government’s hope to provide opportunities to more people with low income than before.
Add new comment