Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunnetti yesterday said that those accepting Aswesuma benefits should be ashamed, describing it as “legal begging.”
Speaking at a public meeting, the Minister stressed that poverty eradication should not depend on long-term welfare schemes but on finding sustainable solutions.
“Aswesuma beneficiaries should be ashamed. It is like begging legally. If we want to develop as a nation, we must move away from this dependency mentality,” Handunnetti said.
He added that the government has no intention of continuing the Aswesuma programme indefinitely or using it as a political slogan.
“The goal should be to end Aswesuma through a clear programme and plan. I would be happy to see the day when this subsidy no longer exists,” he said, noting however that the process should not be forced upon recipients.
“It is up to the people to decide will poverty always exist, or will we challenge it and move forward?” the Minister asked.
(Source - Dailymirror)
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