Relief package for over four million people

The Government announced a relief package for over four million people including senior citizens, kidney patients, Samurdhi beneficiaries and differently-abled persons.

As announced at the Cabinet briefing held yesterday at the Government Information department, the Government would provide an allowance of Rs. 5,000 for all four million special citizens considering the difficulties faced by them during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet Media Briefing held yesterday at the Government Information Department , Co-cabinet Spokesman Information and Communication Minister Dr Bandula Gunawardena yesterday said that the pensioners who usually obtain their pensions via post offices need not personally reach Post Offices since the Department of Posts has already commenced a program to deliver their pensions for the month of April to the homes. 

Minister Gunawardena said that the Department of Posts has also implemented a special programme to deliver drugs to the patients' doorsteps. 

Speaking at the Cabinet Media Briefing, Director General of Pensions Jagath Dias said the Department was ready to provide pensions for 645,179 beneficiaries including 2,800 new beneficiaries.

“The pensioners could use the ID issued by the Department of Pensions as a curfew pass,” he added.

Director General of the Senior Citizens Secretariat Bandula Thilakasiri said among 3.2 million beneficiaries who receive Rs. 2000 per month, 600,000 have been identified as the poorest and therefore measures have been made to distribute Rs. 5000 for 560,000 including 142,343 new beneficiaries.

“Out of the total of 659 senior citizens of more than 100 years of age, 400 of them will also receive Rs 5000,” he said.

Meanwhile, Thilakasiri also noted that 1,258,000 from the total number of 1,795,000 have already received their Rs. 5000 in advance.

Director General of the Secretariat of Differently Abled Persons Champika Kaluarachchi said 150,000 differently abled and kidney patients will receive Rs. 5000 and a circular has already been issued. Accordingly, Rs 750 million has already been allocated to provide the financial facilities, Kaluarachchi said.