Rs. 5,000 each for over 4 m Lankans to cope with COVID-19

• Cabinet approves proposal by President for payment to assist low income groups struggling due to new coronavirus
• Senior citizens, people with disabilities, kidney patients, Samurdhi recipients, farmers among beneficiaries
• President’s Secretary issues relevant circular; payments to begin immediately

The Government will immediately commence a program to give a grant of Rs. 5,000 to around four million Sri Lankans who make up the vulnerable sections of the population, including senior citizens, people with disabilities, kidney patients, and Samurdhi recipients, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena announced yesterday.

Cabinet approval was given for the proposal by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday.

The proposal is aimed at helping those in low income groups who are the worst affected by the outbreak of the corona virus sweeping across the country.

“Due to the farsighted and timely decisions taken by the President, Sri Lanka has managed to put preventive measures in place, whereas even the most economically-powerful countries in the world have failed to take timely action. The health sector has been strengthened and essential services are in place as the world faces the worst calamity since the Second World War,” Gunawardena said.

Those who will benefit from the grant by the Government will also include farmers and fishermen who have signed up for the pension schemes.

Gunawardena said that this program would be implemented with immediate effect and the related circular had been issued by Secretary of the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera.

The payment will be given to the following categories:

• 416,768 persons who are recipients of the senior citizens’ allowances as well as 142,345 others who have been newly identified as those who are eligible for the allowance
• 72,000 who are registered beneficiaries among the disabled and special needs population and an additional 38,791 who are on the provisional list
• 160,675 farmers who are registered under the Farmers’ Pension Scheme
• 4,600 members of the fishing community who are registered under the Fishermen’s Pension Scheme
• 25,320 kidney patients who are already registered with the Government and an additional 13,850 newly-identified patients
• 1,798,655 Samurdhi beneficiaries as well as another 600,339 families who are on the provincial list

The payments will be made through the District and Divisional Secretaries, Gunawardena said, adding that in some cases the money would be sent to their homes.

“Persons with disabilities will not be required to come to collect the money and nor will others who are unable to travel. The money will be sent to their homes through the Grama Sevaka Niladhari of the area,” Gunawardena said.