Sri Lanka's Western Province increases poverty concession

Sri Lanka's Western Provincial Council has decided to increase the poverty concession to Rs. 1,000 per month from 2011.

Currently, the extremely poor people of the Western Province are paid Rs. 350, an amount less than three US dollars per month.
The poverty concession per person per month is Rs. 150, just above one dollar per month and the maximum paid for a family so far is Rs. 350.
There were 72,028 recipients of this poverty concession in 2009, according to Western Provincial Council statistics.
Announcing the budget of the Western Provincial Council for 2011, Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said yesterday that the Council would spend Rs. 576.5 million for poverty concession.