The Welfare Benefits Board has announced that the information census of the second phase of the “Aswesuma” welfare benefit program will be conducted from 15-30 July.
In addition to the more than 1.8 million people who qualified in the first phase, another 450,924 applications have been received for the second phase.
The Welfare Benefits Board said among them, the identification of those who are eligible for the payment of welfare benefits is to be completed within this month.
A total of 1,854,000 individuals have qualified for the first phase of the “Aswesuma” program, with the government allocating Rs.58.5 billion for this phase. The Welfare Benefits Board has provided an opportunity for those who missed or could not apply during the first stage to reapply.
“Aswesuma” welfare benefit, implemented as per the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, will be distributed across four social categories namely, transitional, vulnerable, poor, and extremely poor. Additionally, allowances for the disabled, elderly, and kidney patients will continue as usual.
To enhance the efficiency of field data collection, the Welfare Benefits Board has introduced a new Mobile App that includes features for taking photos, geo-mapping, and voice recording.
Accordingly, it is planned to implement the collection of information through the Mobile App as a pilot project in the Colombo Divisional Secretariat Division. (Newswire)