State Minister of Finance, Shehan Semasinghe, announced an extension for the submission of applications for the second phase of the "Aswasuma" welfare benefit program. Originally slated to close earlier, the deadline has been prolonged until March 22, 2024.
Semasinghe made the announcement via 'X' (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the need for wider participation. He noted that the system has already received 130,000 new applications, but there remains a significant number of physical applications yet to be entered into the data system by the Divisional Secretariats.
The application window for the second phase of the 'Aswasuma' program opened on February 15. This phase is open to families who missed the opportunity during the first phase or did not participate in the housing information census, as previously outlined by the Welfare Benefits Board (WBB).
It is anticipated that during this phase, benefits under 'Aswasuma' will reach approximately 2.4 million families, marking a significant expansion of the program's reach.
