Samurdhi ministry discriminates against Tamil villages

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 June 2002, 22:01 GMT]
Several civil groups Sunday complained that Tamil villages in the Trincomalee district have been discriminated when allocating funds for implementing agricultural development projects under the Poverty Alleviation (Samurdhi) Programme. The Department of Samurdhi (Poverty Alleviation) is functioning in the Trincomalee district secretariat under the supervision of the Government Agent.

The Department of Samurdhi recently allocated money for the implementation of agricultural development projects under the Poverty Alleviation Programme such as home garden development, school tree planting, and agricultural training and cash crop cultivation. More money has been allocated for the Divisional Secretary divisions where Sinhalese live in large numbers. Tamil divisions have been provided with less money, sources said.

At the last Trincomalee district agricultural productivity committee meeting , Mr.P.N.P.Wickremasinghe, Samurdhi officer, tabled a report regarding the allocation of money at divisional level. The Eachilampathu division in the Muttur area has been allocated only a meager sum of Rs: 2,500/= for development works under the Poverty Alleviation Programme. More than fifteen villages are in this division.

The financial allocation received by the Sinhalese divisions in the Trincomalee district is given below:

Kantalai - Rs: 136,612
Seruvila - Rs: 128,380
Padavisiripura - Rs: 220,318
Gomarankadawela - Rs: 119,550

As regards the construction of agro-wells, 32 wells have been constructed in the Kantalai division, 9 in Padavisiripura. No well has been constructed in the Mutur and Eachilampathu divisions, according to the sources.