The relevant authorities are to finalise the reviewing of over 1.2 million (Mn) appeals and 124,000 objections related to the Aswesuma social welfare programme within the course of this month (August), according to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies.
Speaking in the Parliament yesterday (9), the State Minister of Finance, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that a total of 1,024,059 appeals and 124,495 objections related to the programme have been received by the Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) during the relevant period. In addition, 84,374 families who have been selected to receive benefits under the programme, have appealed to be placed under a higher benefit category.
He said that it is expected to finalise the reviewing of the said number of appeals and objections during the course of this month. “The purpose of this programme is to provide benefits to 2 million families. When the appeals and objections are reviewed, we hope that the target number of two million families will be there to receive benefits. For now, information related to 1.3 million bank accounts relevant to the programme has been entered into the system.”
Speaking further, Siyambalapitiya said that a total 1,280,747 families that are currently receiving Samurdhi benefits had applied for Aswesuma, out of which 887,653 families had been selected for the latter programme. He said that the 393,094 families that had not been selected to receive benefits under the Aswesuma will continue to be paid Samurdhi allowances until the appeal and objection reviewing process is finalised.
The Aswesuma welfare benefit payments commenced from 1 July. Under the programme, a monthly allowance of Rs. 2,500 will be provided to the transitional category, Rs. 5,000 to the vulnerable category, Rs. 7,500 to the poor category, and Rs. 15,000 to the extremely poor category. The list of beneficiaries of the Aswesuma programme had been publicised late June, and several parties are claiming that the selection process had not been carried out properly.