Upali Pannilage, the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, has officially refuted media allegations suggesting that Aswesuma welfare payments for 1.4 million citizens have been terminated. During an event in Anuradhapura, the Minister clarified that the total number of current beneficiaries stands at approximately 1,206,000, rendering the reported figures inaccurate. He further explained that the ongoing evaluation process has not led to a decrease in the recipient pool. According to the Minister, the first phase of the review process has already been finalized and published, covering 991,000 individuals. With 989,000 people currently receiving support under this specific phase, the updated data actually reflects a slight increase of 2,000 beneficiaries. The government maintains that the program remains stable and that reports of widespread benefit cuts are unfounded.
Source : Newswire
Photo : Newswire
