Samudri allowance to be paid to the needy in the North

Minister of Economic Development is making necessary arrangements to provide Samurdhi allowance to the Mullaitivu, Mannar and Kilinochchi Districts and to the Divisional Secretariats of Maruthankerni in the Jaffna District, Vavuniya North in the Vavuniya District and Verugal in the Trincomalee District.

Asian Tribune also learnt that Economic Development Ministry is also making arrangements to appoint Samudri Officers in these districts. It is learnt one Samudri Officer will be appointed to each Grama Servaka Divisions in these districts.

In the meantime Economic Development Ministry has changed the payment scheme for the Samurdhi program in order to minimize administrative costs.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that the change is aimed at minimizing additional costs, corruption and to make the scheme efficient.
Monies for Samurdhi recipients are to be deposited in bank accounts under the new system.

The Minister observed that the new system would encourage people to save monies as well.

Meanwhile, the Samurdhi allowance increased under the 2012 budget will be granted to the recipients from the first of this month.

Minister Rajapaksa said that there are 42,638 new Samurdhi recipients in the country including the North and the East.

Under the new payment system the recipients who received 250 -615 rupees will receive an allowance of 750 rupees from the 1st of this month, while those who received 900 rupees will receive 1,200 rupees per month.

The increase in allowance will cost the government an additional 47.5 million rupees per month, the Minster has said.

There are 1,583,961 recipients of Samurdhi program and the government spends over 45 billion rupees per month to provide Samurdhi allowance.

- Asian Tribune –

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