The Election Commission has announced the temporary suspension of the government’s initiative to distribute a seasonal food package at a subsidized price in celebration of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
In an official communication, the Commission has informed both the Secretary to the President and the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to defer the distribution of the food package until after the local government elections.
This initiative, introduced through a recent budget proposal, was intended to benefit eligible individuals selected from the 812,753 applicants who had submitted new applications for relief assistance.
Under the scheme, essential food items valued at Rs. 5,000 were to be provided to qualified recipients at a subsidized price of Rs. 2,500.
The Cabinet had granted approval for the implementation of this seasonal relief program, with plans to distribute the food packages via Lanka Sathosa and Coop outlets between April 1 and 13.
