JVP slams Govt. for spending Rs. 240 m on Samurdhi tamasha

• Says funds wasted on ceremonies for new recipients
• Even after Rs. 80 m spent on selection process, the poor still lost out  

The use of Samurdhi funds for propaganda programs, under the instruction of Primary Industries and Social Empowerment Minister Daya Gamage, attracted heavy criticism in Parliament yesterday.

The JVP severely criticised the Minister for spending Rs. 240 million to organise district level ceremonies to hand out membership to new recipients. The JVP said the Minister had charged new Samurdhi recipients Rs. 300/- each, and taken the rest out of the Samurdhi Trust Fund. JVP leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said: “The Minister avoided Parliament today deliberately, to avoid replying. He is unable to reply to any of these questions that reveal the fraud.”

“As per the Budget 2019, the Treasury allocated Rs. 10 billion to provide additional 600,000 families Samurdhi benefits. At this moment, 1,409,843 Samurdhi recipient families receive Rs. 3,500/-, Rs. 2,500/-, Rs. 1,500/- along with special allowances. The Treasury allocated Rs. 462 million this year for Samurdhi. A survey was also conducted in 2017 at a cost of Rs. 80 million to select more people suitable to receive Samurdhi. But most eligible people didn’t receive Samurdhi,” he charged.

MP Dissanayake, highlighting the event organised to distribute Samurdhi benefits, said: “The total cost of this event held in 24 districts comes to Rs. 240 million. Out of this Rs. 2.3 million is spent on 400,000 posters, Rs. 5.2 million on cut-outs, and Rs. 60 million on 125,000 t-shirts,” he added. (AH)