The Election Commission has temporarily suspended the government’s New Year food relief program, raising concerns over its implementation in the lead-up to the upcoming local government elections.
In a written directive, the Commission instructed the Secretary to the President and the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to postpone the distribution of the seasonal food relief package until after the elections are concluded.
The initiative, introduced under a recent budget proposal, aimed to provide essential food items worth Rs. 5,000 at a subsidized price of Rs. 2,500 to eligible low-income families. The program was targeted at selected individuals from among the 812,753 new applicants who recently sought assistance under the ‘Aswesuma’ welfare scheme.
Cabinet approval had already been granted for the relief effort, which was scheduled to be carried out through Lanka Sathosa and Co-op outlets nationwide between April 1 and April 13, in conjunction with the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations.
