1,391,830 Aswesuma beneficiaries removed under revised selection process

Rupavahini News and Newswire report that Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Minister Upali Pannilage rejected media claims that benefits had been suspended for nearly 1.4 million Aswesuma recipients. Speaking at an awareness event in Anuradhapura on the 29th, he said 1,206,000 people currently receive the assistance and argued that the reported number of removals did not match the programme’s current totals.

Rupavahini News and Newswire report that the first phase of a beneficiary review has produced a published list of 991,000 people. The minister compared this with about 989,000 people currently receiving benefits in that phase, describing the revised count as an increase of roughly 2,000 rather than a decrease.

Rupavahini News and Newswire say approximately 215,000 recipients are covered by the second phase, which is scheduled for review next year. Pannilage said their benefits would continue without a change in recipient numbers until that review is completed. They also report that about 740,000 additional first-phase cases remain to be reviewed and that the overall beneficiary total could rise when the process is finished.

Newswire reports that the event concerned the Samurdhi Development Department’s “New Strength for Community Empowerment” initiative and involved Samurdhi officers from Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu. Rupavahini News similarly places the awareness programme at the Anuradhapura Bhikkhu University auditorium. Rupavahini News and Newswire report that the minister urged the public not to be misled by reports of benefits being cut.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.