• Social Security and Community Empowerment, and Edu. Ministries to collaborate

The Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment stated that they, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, have planned counselling programmes for families with drug addicts, and that financial provisions for this initiative have been allocated in the 2025 Budget.

During the inaugural meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, it was revealed that some recipients of the Aswesuma social welfare benefits are addicted to drugs.

When queried by The Daily Morning about any possible intervention, Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment L.G.Wasantha Piyatissa said that they would intervene directly by collaborating with the Ministry of Education to identify families with drug addicts and conduct counselling sessions for them. 

“There have been limited financial allocations for such programmes in the past. However, this time, Rs. 250 million has been allocated in the Budget for this initiative. The Education Ministry is involved because we are focusing on youth drug addiction. The programme will be implemented soon after the Budget is passed in the Parliament,” he said.

During the Ministerial Consultative Committee session, the necessity to conduct more effective awareness programmes at the school level to prevent students being exposed to the use of drugs, was highlighted.