84,000 families face livelihood hardships due to curfew restrictions in Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 April 2020, 22:46 GMT]
Although the SL President announced that Samurdhi beneficiaries and Samurdhi cardholders would receive an interest-free advance of Rs 10,000 ($50) per family, the progress is at snail's pace in Jaffna and the Northern province, officials at the District Secretariat in Jaffna said. People below the island-wide poverty line are entitled to the Samurdhi beneficiary programmes. Currently, there are 72,000 families registered under the Samurdhi programme in Jaffna district. Around 12,000 more applications are pending for approval, sources at the District Secretariat said.

At least 84,000 families, most of them dependent on daily wage earnings, are unable to sustain their livelihood due to the curfew restrictions since 20 March.

Of the 10,000 rupees advance payment, only 5,000 rupees is provided as cash, and the remaining 5,000 would need to be spent with government-controlled supply chains for dry rations at a later date.

However, the supply mechanisms do not seem to have the required stocks in Jaffna, the officials said.

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