Samurdhi - vast strides in poverty alleviation
 

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Under the Mahinda Chintana, the Government has taken a series of new measures to alleviate poverty through the Samurdhi movement.

Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the Samurdhi Movement under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken every possible measure to alleviate poverty and uplift the living conditions of the country's poorer segments.

After assuming office President Rajapaksa took immediate action to increase the Samurdhi subsidy by 50 per cent. As a result the Rs.250 Samurdhi subsidy was increased to Rs. 375 while the Rs.325 subsidy was increased to Rs.525.

In addition, the Rs.600 Samurdhi subsidy was raised to Rs.900 while the Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500. Under the first stage, the Government has already given this 50 per cent increase to Samurdhi beneficiary families in 113 Divisional Secretariat divisions.

Through the Samurdhi Banks, the Samurdhi Movement has formed an effective network to cater to the needs of the poor.

At present, 1038 Samurdhi Banks have been set up throughout the country including the North and East. Under various loan schemes, Samurdhi Banks have granted 24,000 million worth of credit facilities to Samurdhi beneficiaries to overcome their financial constraints and commence income generation projects.

A sum of Rs.2,800 million worth of credit facilities have been granted to Samurdhi beneficiaries this year alone. The Samurdhi Banks have also recorded a total of Rs. 17,000 million in deposits.

According to the Minister, the Government under the Jana Pubuduwa multi-pronged development drive has provided Rs. 1,873 million worth of Jana Pubudu loans to 71,644 Samurdhi beneficiary families during the first nine months of this year.

Under the Jana Pubuduwa development drive, financial assistance will be provided to Samurdhi beneficiary families to start ventures to establish them in gainful employment in the areas of agriculture, industries, animal husbandry, fisheries, marketing and other support services.

Since its inception in 2004, the Jana Pubudu programme has provided Rs. 5,248 million worth of credit to a large number among the 190,611 Samurdhi beneficiary families up to date to commence various self employment ventures and develop their existing income generating avenues.

The Ministry under the Gam Pubudu development drive has targeted to complete 13,573 people's projects during this year by upgrading the infrastructure facilities of a large number of villages. Of them, nearly 4,000 projects have commenced already spending Rs. 350 million. The Government has allocated Rs. 672 million to implement these 13,573 Gam Pubudu projects.

Under the 'Gam Pubuduwa' village re-awakening programme, the Government has launched a multi-pronged development drive centred on village infrastructure development. The Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority (SLSA) under the Jana Pubuduwa has been able to implement one development project in each Grama Niladari Division in the 22 districts.

The Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority (SLSA) has implemented a special housing project named `Diriya Piyasa' to overcome the housing problem of these poor families. Under the second stage of this programme, 5,000 houses will be constructed for the needy families this year, at a cost of Rs. 150 million. Construction work on 1744 houses have already been completed at a cost of Rs. 50.54 million.

The SLSA will spend Rs. 50,000 on each family under this programme. In addition to the Government funds, number of voluntary organisations and others have extended support to the SLSA. Therefore, the end value of each house under this project will cost between Rs. 150,000 to Rs. 200,000.

The Government has taken steps to issue a special free nutrition pack worth Rs.500 to pregnant mothers of all Samurdhi beneficiary families. The move will minimise acute malnutrition among mothers.

The Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry has already implemented this programme in 114 remotest Divisional Secretariat divisions thus benefitting 75,000 pregnant mothers. A sum of Rs. 258 million has been spent for this purpose. The Ministry has planned to provide this nutrition package to 200,000 pregnant mothers next year at a cost of Rs.1,800 million.

On a monthly basis the Ministry will distribute this special food package to pregnant mothers for 18 months - six months before birth and 12 months after birth of child. The Government through the Samurdhi Movement has also implemented a special nutrition programme for children of Samurdhi and other underprivileged families through the supply of a daily glass of fresh milk to each child aged between 2 to 5.

A pilot project in this regard was initially commenced by the Department of Commissioner General of Samurdhi in Siyabalanduwa, Madulla (Moneragala district), Rideemaliyedde, Meegahakiula (Badulla district), Suriyawewa, Katuwana (Hambantota district), Kalpitiya, Mundalama (Puttalam district), Ambagamuwa (Nuwara Eliya district) and Elapatha (Ratnapura district), 10 most poorest Divisional Secretariat divisions according to the poverty index.

According to the Minister under the project a glass of fresh milk will be provided to around 40,000 children of low income families in selected Divisional Secretariat divisions. The Government will spend Rs.32 million to provide fresh milk to these children.

The Ministry has launched a national programme titled "Samurdhi Gemi Suwasetha" to provide drinking water and sanitary facilities to thousands of deserving low income families who presently undergo severe hardships due to the deprivation of such basic amenities.

The Government has already allocated Rs. 411.25 million to provide sanitary facilities and another Rs.548 million for 2006 to provide drinking water facilities to needy low income families scattered throughout the country. The sanitary project will benefit 67,125 most deserving Samurdhi beneficiary families living in 316 Divisional Secretariat divisions by 2006.

At present, the Government has increased the Rs.5,000 donation made for a funeral up to Rs.10,000 and Rs.2,500 for a child birth up to Rs.5,000.

In a bid to streamline the country's rural agricultural sector, the Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry has implemented a special project tiled "Randahadiya Nil Diyawara".

The Ministry has made arrangements to promote 500 agriculture development projects throughout the country during this year spending Rs.53 million. Of them 237 projects have already commenced in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Hambantota, Badulla and Moneragala districts. A sum of Rs.26 million have been spent to implement these 237 projects.

Under the Samurdhi programme, a large number of rural youth have been provided employment in 1,038 Samurdhi Bank Societies. At present 24,750 Samurdhi Development Officers and 2,100 Samurdhi Managers are attached to these Samurdhi Banks.

In addition, a large number of youth have also been involved in various self employment ventures in the Samurdhi Movement. In this situation, the Samurdhi has made a direct impact on minimising unemployment, particularly among rural youth.

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