Under the leadership of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, the rice distribution program for the beneficiary families that belong to the Colombo Divisional Secretariat division was held on 22.04.2024 at Sri Wickramarama, Mattakkuliya, symbolizing the national program of providing rice to low income-earning families.
The Prime Minister addressing the event commented …
“The necessary environment is being created to build a future where the people and children of Colombo can live confidently. As the first step, we have started programs to ensure their food safety.”
Colombo District Secretary Mr. K.A. Wijesiri mentioned that…
“Under this program, implemented nationwide at the Grama Niladhari division level, Aswesuma beneficiaries, kidney aid recipients, recipients of allowance for disabilities, Samurdhi beneficiaries, elderly allowance recipients and other beneficiaries for various illnesses are qualified for this.
The government is spending 126.1 billion rupees to distribute rice to 3.9 million families. One hundred and eighty three thousand selected families in Colombo district alone are entitled to this benefit.”
Colombo Development Committee Chairman, MP Yadamini Gunawardena stated at the event that…
“When we started this program last year, there were various obstacles and problems. When we came forward hurdling those obstacles, we have identified an important piece of information. More than ten thousand families in the city of Colombo, who has benefitted by all the financial systems of our country, do not have any bank accounts.
In the main commercial city of Sri Lanka, the main city where Sri Lanka deals with the world, the city with a history going back thousands of years, the fact revealed that more than ten thousand families in that city do not engage with any bank, is an achievement of this program.
Every time the Prime Minister was elected to the Parliament, he came to this area from time to time and worked to provide relief and benefit to the public for various work. When he was the Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply, he provided housing, housing construction concessions, and water.
In this way he did a great service to the people of Colombo. When the Ministry of Public Administration was taken over, the Food Security Program was started. It is with the hope of ending the era of huge queues in our country. At that time, we went to every district of Sri Lanka to ensure providing nutrition of everyone from small children to adults in our country.
It is an honor to visit this area without forgetting it, which has the highest poverty statistics in the Colombo district. Another step in the program, starting to secure food for the people who lived from house to house during the epidemic, and it is being implemented today in Samitpura area, north of Colombo. Samitpura was formed by resettlement during the non-aligned summit. That was fifty years ago. Today, fifty years later, we are working to bring these areas back to a winning goal.”
Anu Nayaka of Ramanna Maha Nikaya Ven. Matale Kusaladhamma Thera, Chief Incumbent of Sri Vikramaramaya, Colombo Divisional Secretary Sandaruwan Anuruddha, government officials, beneficiaries and residents participated in this event.
