The Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare has refuted a statement made during the budget speech indicating that the Samurdhi will be renamed as Jana-Isura.

Minister S.B. Dissanayake noted that Jana – Isura will merely be a programme to eradicate poverty in the country, which will function under Samurdhi.

“To ensure that we reach our targets and have enabling strategies, we will appoint a task force to look into these issues. In fact I would like to propose to rename Samurdhi as “Jana Isura”…” said the Minister of Finance ,Ravi Karunanayake during the budget speech in parliament on November 10, 2016

Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare, S.B.Dissanayake stated that the Samurdhi programme will  not be renamed as Jana Isura

“I am not sure how this was interpreted by the newspapers and the media”, he said and further explained that what will happen is that the Jana Isura programme will be initiated under the Department of Samurdhi and the Samurdhi Officers and unions.

He added that the President has termed next year to be the Year to Eradicate Poverty from the country and Jana Isura will be a key programme that will be undertaken through our ministry next year