The Gampaha District Divisional Secretariat has exposed false claims made by a prosperous family regarding their eligibility for the government's "Aswesuma" subsidy program. The family, whose name was initially omitted from the subsidy list, appealed the decision, leading to an investigation by the Divisional Secretariat.
The Aswesuma program was introduced by the government as a replacement for the controversial Smurdhi scheme, which had been marred by politicization and various issues. As part of their inquiry, an office official from the Divisional Secretariat contacted the family via phone to gather more information and clarify any concerns.
During the conversation with the family's daughter, it came to light that the family did not meet the necessary criteria to receive subsidies, according to a senior official from the Secretariat. Surprisingly, the family had failed to provide accurate details in their application form and had falsely claimed to be unemployed.
Further investigation revealed that despite the family's affluent background, they had even been receiving the Samurdhi subsidy for a certain period of time. This raised questions about the integrity of the subsidy system and the adequacy of measures to ensure that resources are allocated to those truly in need.
The Gampaha District Divisional Secretariat has pledged to take appropriate action against the family for submitting misleading information and exploiting government welfare programs.