The Minister of Trade today (May 29) inspected the Mega Sathosa outlet in Ratmalana, where Rs 5,000 worth relief pack containing essential items are being prepared for distribution in isolated areas.

The Minister said that a program has been implemented where the public can arrange the delivery of goods to homes by calling the hotline 1998.

Meanwhile, the government’s monthly allowance for senior citizens was distributed through post offices today.

However, some senior citizens who arrived to obtain the allowance were observed to be inconvenienced due to the unpreparedness of certain post offices.

The Minister in charge of the subject clarified that the government has given an allowance of Rs 5,000 to Samurdhi recipients, low-income earners, and those who have lost their income due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Commenting on this, Minister Shehan Semasinghe said, “We have decentralized the power of selection to the Grama Niladhari Division. If the name of a person is not included, the village committee has the power to include him if he is eligible. Divisional Secretaries have been given the necessary authorization to do so.”

He further said that if an individual had not been chosen but is eligible to receive the allowance, their grievances can be referred to the hotline 1965 operated by the Prime Minister’s Office.