Bhathiya Barukanda
The census for the second phase of the “Aswesuma” Welfare Benefit Program is scheduled to be completed by July 31.
Additionally, for families who missed the opportunity to apply during the first phase, applications were called again in February, resulting in approximately 454,924 new applications. The census work related to these applications has already begun, Welfare Benefits Board Chairman Jayantha Wijerathna stated.
Addressing a special press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) today (22), Welfare Benefits Board Chairman Jayantha Wijerathna highlighted that the highest number of applications have come from Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts. The information collection for each application in the census is conducted using the IWMS software.
Census officers have been appointed for each Grama Niladhari (GN) Divison and will visit households to verify the information of family members, which will be entered into the social security information register via the mobile application.
Additionally, a census monitoring officer has been appointed in each Divisional Secretariat to oversee and evaluate the census process, he added.
Mr. Wijerathna further mentioned that once the information systems are implemented by the census officers, all Divisional Secretaries will be able to monitor the complete information of applicants at the GN divisional level. At the end of the census, the information of the respective families is reviewed by the selection committees.
These committees monitor the census family information and approve the calculation of selection criteria. The selection criteria are then calculated and a score is assigned to determine poverty levels using a scientific method across six dimensions: education, health, economic status, assets, housing conditions, and family demographics. The system then generates a list of eligible candidates.
Welfare benefit payments are made under four social categories namely transitional, vulnerable, poor, and extremely poor. Additionally, allowances are provided to disadvantaged groups such as the disabled, elderly, and kidney patients.
Approximately 3.4 million applications were received for the first phase of the program, with 1,854,000 deemed eligible for benefits. The government allocated Rs. 58.5 billion for this phase.
Additionally, the Welfare Benefits Board has introduced a new mobile application featuring capabilities for taking photos, geo-mapping, and voice recording to enhance the efficiency of field information collection for the “Aswesuma” welfare benefit program. Chairman of the Welfare Benefits Board, Jayantha Wijeratne, urged applicants to always provide accurate information when applying for these benefits.
Directors of the Welfare Benefits Board Kamal Padmasiri and Kumar Dunusinghe were also present at the press briefing.
