Verification of over 2.2 million welfare applications completed

The program initiated on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to identify those eligible for welfare benefit payments has completed the information verification for over 2.2 million applications received during the on-going survey and verification process, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

Saman Ekanayake, the Secretary to the President, has instructed officers to accelerate the eligibility verification process for welfare allowances pertaining to 3.7 million applications received from 340 Divisional Secretariat Divisions throughout the island.

As a result, the majority of applications that have been confirmed and finalized are from the Matara district, accounting for 82.1% of all applications, according to the PMD.

The data verification process has validated the information of 2,227,888 applications from all over the island. Among them, 78.3% were from Ampara district, 74.5% were from Kalutara district, 73.3% were from Galle district, and 71.7% were from Anuradhapura district, it added. 

As the information survey work is set to conclude on March 31st, the government urges applicants to provide accurate data to the officials conducting the survey with utmost urgency.

It should be noted that failure to provide correct information by the deadline may result in the denial of welfare benefits, and therefore, the government emphasizes the importance of timely and accurate information submission, the PMD reported.