An Investigative Study on the Inefficiency of the Samurdhi Movement in Rural Development in Sri Lanka: From Neluwa Divisional Secretariat, Galle District

Abstract

Although various development programs have been initiated for the welfare of the genaral public of this country since the time of the British colonial period, they have shown some growth after independence. With the attainment of universal suffrage in Sri Lanka, the beginning of representative democracy can be seen as a temptation to carry out the welfare of the people by the representatives. Therefore, the people's leaders did not have the opportunity to neglect the interests of the common people. Particular attention was paid to the rural population. Because it was the reason why the people got their votes in the elections and those votes were decisive. In the past, a large number of rural programs were implemented and some programs failed. However, the Samurdhi development program introduced by the government that came to power in 1994 has had some success but has failed to eradicate its intended poverty. This research could fine that the Samurdhi program has failed to achieve the real progress of due to the irregularities in the selection of Samurdhi recipients in the rural community, political interference, bureaucracy, negative attitudes of the Samurdhi beneficiaries, improper monitoring of the beneficiaries and lack of targeted programs. The research was conducted in four Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Neluwa Divisional Secretariat Division in the Galle District of the Southern Province of Sri Lanka for this purpose and about 100 Samurdhi recipient families were used for this purpose.