By K. Prasanna
Allegations have previously been made against the Aswesuma scheme, highlighting various flaws in its implementation. It was particularly revealed that unqualified individuals had fraudulently obtained money by providing inaccurate information. A request was made to the Welfare Benefits Board under the Right to Information Act, seeking details about the actions taken by the government against those who received the Aswesuma allowance by providing false information. However, it emerged that no proper action had been taken in this regard.
In response, a ten-member committee was appointed to investigate cases where individuals did not receive the Aswesuma allowance without valid reasons and to address those who faced injustice during the implementation of the Aswesuma social welfare benefit scheme. The Secretary of the Ministry of Social Security and Media, Ranjith Ariyaratne, stated that this committee, led by Additional Secretary Shyali Piyasen, was established following instructions from Minister Vijitha Herath.
The committee’s objective is to identify injustices and assess the impact on the general public when benefits are distributed under the Aswesuma Welfare scheme. Information concerning recipients of Aswesuma payments and whether appropriate relief had been granted to relevant individuals or families is expected to be gathered from divisional secretariats.
Minister Vijitha Herath indicated that the government had already formulated measures to provide relief to families who were unjustifiably denied Aswesuma payments.
In March 2024, the Ministry of Finance confirmed that over ten thousand individuals had obtained the Aswesuma allowance by providing false information. Although legal action was promised, data from the Welfare Benefits Board indicated that no action had been taken against the relevant individuals, and no recovery of funds had been made.
Out of the 3,742,846 applicants who applied for Aswesuma Stage One, 1,854,678 were selected to receive the Aswesuma allowance. An additional opportunity was provided for applicants to submit appeals or objections. Following consideration of 1,017,645 appeals and 161,075 objections, around 10,630 applicants were identified as ineligible for the Aswesuma allowance. It was noted that many of those identified as unsuitable had received payments for at least three months.
The government allocated seventy-eight billion rupees in 2023 and 183.3 billion rupees in 2024 for Aswesuma payments. However, no action was taken to recover payments made to ineligible recipients. The Welfare Benefits Board failed to provide comprehensive details in response to the request for data concerning those who obtained benefits fraudulently, stating they did not possess the information and were currently collecting it from divisional secretariats.
The board stated that it could not release information without first investigating the data received. It plans to suspend fraudulent payments, conduct investigations, and subsequently take legal measures.
Information provided by the Welfare Benefits Board indicates that no action has been taken against those who received the Aswesuma allowance fraudulently, nor has any effort been made to recover the money from them. This delay on the part of the Welfare Benefits Board has resulted in many eligible applicants being deprived of their rightful payments. It appears that the Aswesuma welfare payment process has not been properly implemented.
At present, 465,179 applications have been received for Aswesuma Stage Two, but no steps have been taken to regulate the process and select beneficiaries. Additionally, as the survey could not be conducted due to instructions from the Elections Commission, the Welfare Benefits Board has stated it is unable to provide reliable information.
It is evident that many eligible individuals have been excluded from the Aswesuma welfare scheme, which was intended to assist the poor. The government has now appointed a ten-member committee to address this issue. Investigations must commence promptly, and eligible individuals should be assured of receiving the Aswesuma allowance.
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