Sharp drop in poverty level in four years

by L. S. Ananda Wedaarachchi

The level of poverty in the country has dropped during the past four years. It dropped from 24 percent to 15.4 percent during the past four years.

The aim of the Government is to bring it down to 13 percent which is supposed to be the feasible level as accepted by the United Nations, said a spokesman for the Nation Building Ministry.

He said that the present per capita income has reached US$ 2,150 from US$ 1,000. The target of the Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dakma is to improve the per capita income to reach US$ 4,000 within six years, he said.

Millions of rupees have been pumped into the villages through the poverty alleviation projects and the village based Gama Naguma and Maga Naguma projects by the Government, he said.Last year 14,022 Grama Niladhari Divisions in 25 districts received Rs. 14,022 million under the Gama Naguma program. All village based projects were implemented with the active participation of villagers. They were monetarily benefited, he said.

He said that the Samurdhi relief program also played a vital role in reducing the poverty level in the country. It was implemented to ensure minimum dependent levels for the poorest of the poor, he said.