By Walter Nanayakkara and Kesara Abeywardena

Parliament met at 10.00 a.m. Wednesday, 28, March, 2001. Deputy Speaker Maj. Gen. Sarath Munasinghe presided over.

After attending to routine business, House sat in committee to consider the Votes of the Ministry of Samurdhi, Rural Development, Parliamentary Affairs and Up-country Development.

Ministry of Samurdhi, Rural Development, Parliamentary Affairs and Up-country Development

R. A. D. Sirisena, UNP, Kegalle District moved a cut of Rs. 10.00 from the Votes of the Ministry of Samurdhi, Rural Development, Parliamentary Affairs and Up-country Development.

I urge the minister to hold the consultative committee on parliamentary affairs regularly. In 1998 we had 3 meetings, in 1999 - four meetings in 2000, three meetings. This year so far we have not held meetings of the consultative committee.

I also urge the minister under whose preview comes the junction of Parliamentary Affairs, to convert the railway warrant system to a system of warrants to travel by bus.

Today trains are not operating in the entire island. Annually the parliament spends Rs. 6,972,000 on the railway warrant scheme. Value of each set of tickets is Rs. 7,747.

In 1998 there were 1,778,921 Samurdhi beneficiaries. In 1999 this has increased to 2,013,685. This means poverty has increased.

There had been instances where persons who enjoy such luxuries as telephones are enjoying Samurdhi benefits.

The "Divaina" newspapers recently reported a divisional secretary as having refered to this situation.

A large number of Samurdhi beneficiaries receive Rs. 100 a month. This is a grossly inadequate donation as an income support measure.

The government must conduct a full survey and arrive at a conclusive figure with regard to the people living below the poverty level.

The Minister of Samurdhi has acted arbitrarily when it deposited 15 percent of the savings of samurdhi beneficiaries in the so-called Pan-Asia Bank. Has this bank been recommended by the Central Bank?

This is a bank of a cassino owner, as far as I know. If this bank collapses who will be responsible for the Samurdhi savings invested in the bank?

The Suratura loan scheme has become a hoax. Many of those who obtained loans under this scheme have not repaid them.

Kirthi Mawellaga (PA - Matara District) said: After coming to parliament I have understood that the opposition only criticises and never shows the positive side of anything. As a student the question of poverty really troubled me. We have launched many poverty alleviation programmes but still poverty is a major problem in the country.

The Janasaviya programme was a failure. That’s why the PA had to rethink about their poverty alleviation programme. The Samurdhi Movement was begun to get the poor into the country’s development process.

I accept that people who are not eligible for "Samurdhi" are also getting the benefits. But this is a miniscule amount.

Through the "Samurdhi" Movement we have organised the poor and have made them a formidable force. We have started "Samurdhi Banks" to promote savings among the beneficiaries. The poor in this country did not have the habit of saving. But through Samurdhi we have been able to inculcate that habit among them.

Ranjith Madduma Bandara (UNP - Moneragala District) said: In 1994 only 1.5 million were Samurdhi beneficiaries. But today there are 2 million Samurdhi beneficiaries. Therefore poverty has increased in this country during the past six years.

The per capita income has increased in the country but poverty has also increased in a parallel manner.

In 1994 36% of the people in Moneragala were under the poverty line. But today it is 47%. This is according to the Department of Census and Statistics. But Samurdhi programme was activated in that district. Therefore, this is not a poverty alleviation program but a political movement. This is to bring crowds to political meetings.

There are 22,000 Samurdhi animators. Rs. 2400 million is spent to pay their salaries while only Rs. 650 million is spent for development work through Samurdhi. The government is paying people’s funds to keep its political machinery working.

Bandula Gunawardena [PA - Colombo District] said: Poverty is a major problem of every society.

The people of the third world are caught up in the vicious circle of poverty. There are various reasons for poverty.

In Madagascar 70% of the people are poor. In Afghanistan 67.1% are poor. Bangladesh has a poverty ratio of 42.1% Sri Lankan poverty ratio is 40.6.

Sajith Premadasa [UNP-Hambantota District] said: I do not condemn wholesale the Samurdhi Movement which substituted the Janasaviya programme of the UNP. But I cannot help referring it as a political organisation.

During election time the Samurdhi animators were assigned with certain specific functions relating to elections by the minister in charge.

On the eve of elections Samurdhi animators went to the homes of Samurdhi beneficiaries and asked them to whom they vote. Naturally they would say they were voting for the PA. Then the Samurdhi animators demanded the Samurdhi beneficiaries to hand over the polling cards to them.

This is the most objectional situation of the Samurdhi programme.

I appeal to the Minister to depoliticise the Samurdhi Movement from this day.

Nandana Goonetilleke [JVP-Kalutara District] said: The Samurdhi Programme was introduced in 1994 to provide income support for 1.2 million people living below the poverty line.

It was estimated in 1994 that one lakh of the 1.2 million earned below Rs. 500 a month, and that 11,000 earned Rs. 1000 or less, a month.

The government’s reports point to programmes to alleviate poverty. The Central Bank report states that between 1994 and 2000 the number of people receiving Samurdhi benefits increased from 1.2 million to 2 million.

The UNP defrauded the people by promising a savings deposit of Rs. 25,000 to each of the Janasaviya beneficiaries. Today under the Samurdhi Savings Scheme a large amount of money has gone into the Samurdhi Banks.

But it was told in the House that you are going to transfer a large amount of money to be invested in a private Bank.

P. Selvaraj [TULF-Batticaloa District] said: If the present government treats all the poor alike then they should try and apply the same yardstick in respect of the North and East.

Any payment due to Samurdhi recipients should be given without delay.

Jeyaraj Fernandopulle [Minister of Aviation and Airports Development] said: "In my view Janasaviya was not a successful proverty alleviation program.

Poor people had to pay high rates of interest when they take loans. But under the Samurdhi Programme loans can be obtained on very concessional rates of interest.

We have appointed competent people to run the Samurdhi Programme.

There is no politics in any stage of the implementation of the Samurdhi Programme.

Dallas Alahapperuma [Deputy Minister of Samurdhi] said: Due to the Samurdhi Programme the poor people have at least taken a step forward. The opposition accused that this is a political programme. Don’t look at the whole movement in such a narrow angle.

In a movement of this magnitude there has to be certain misdoings but it would not be more than 2% or 3%. Some tried to link Samurdhi with Janasaviya but TULF MP said that the Janasaviya was unfair to the Tamil people.

Today in all areas except in uncleared areas the Samurdhi programme is in operation.

It is not correct to attribute the increase of Samurdhi beneficiaries to an increase of poverty in the country. Today poverty is not assessed by economic indicators only, but with quality of life as well.

We have created a module to take all factors concerning poverty in carrying out the Samurdhi Programme.

S. Sathasivam [UNP-Nuwara Eliya District] said: There are 13,703 Grama Seva Divisions in the country and there are 22,472 Samurdhi Animators.

For some divisions there is only one Samurdhi animator, in others there are two.

In each Grama Seva Niladhari Divisions there are about 300 to 550 residents. There are discrepancies in the appointments of Samurdhi animators in the Nuwara Eliya District.

I urge the Minister to adopt a consistent policy with regard to appointing Samurdhi animators. Please consider appointing a Samurdhi Animator for every 500 residents.

Please also appoint Samurdhi Commissioners in the Plantation areas.

Chandrasena Galappaththi [UNP-Ampara District] said: Whatever said and done the "Samurdhi" Programme is just an extension of the "Janasaviya" Movement of President Premadasa.

I request the minister to increase the allowance. I think this allowance is not at all sufficient.

Certain officials use the Samurdhi beneficiaries for their private contracts. The minister should conduct immediate investigations into these charges.

S. B. Dissanayake [Minister of Samurdhi, Parliamentary Affairs and Upcountry Development] said: Janasavi Programme is the country’s first programme targeted to alleviate poverty.

But the Samurdhi Movement is different.

We had to pick up young people who approved the applications for relief, because there were attempts to sabotage it.

We will depoliticise the Samurdhi Scheme.

The vote was approved by the committee of whole House.