EC stops govt providing relief food packages during new year season

Government’s plans to provide a food relief package for  selected low income group families during the new year season has been stopped by the Election Commission in view of the upcoming Local polls.

The directive from the Election Commission has gone out to the  Secretary to the President and the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development.

They have been adviced   to suspend the distribution of the food package until the elections are concluded on May 6.

The Government had announced that a relief package valued at Rs. 5,000 will be provided at  Rs. 2,500 for low income group families. They were expected to be  selected  from 812,000 families  who have recently applied for  ‘Aswesuma’ benefits..

The government was distributed the packages through the  Lanka Sathosa and Co-operative  outlets until April 13, coinciding with the upcoming new year celebrations.

But, Opposition political parties claimed that the government had introduced the programme to attract votes at the upcoming Local Government elections.