Development projects worth Rs. 23,000 million have already been approved and forwarded to district secretaries under the Prajashakthi National Poverty Alleviation Programme, the Presidential Secretariat said following a progress review chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday.
The 2026 Budget allocated Rs. 25,000 million for the flagship rural-development programme. Officials told the President that allocations are being directed towards projects prioritised by Community Development Councils in the areas of livelihood development, the production economy and food security.
Officials informed the meeting that 13,977 Community Development Councils have already been established at Grama Niladhari Division level. The President was briefed on the financial allocations provided to these councils and on measures to strengthen information technology infrastructure at Prajashakthi units set up at divisional secretariat and district levels. Training programmes are being conducted across all 25 districts to raise awareness among officials attached to the councils.
President Dissanayake stressed the importance of continuous follow-up on project implementation, the benefits generated and the extent to which they improve living standards. The programme is being implemented as a flagship initiative aimed at eradicating rural poverty and uplifting rural communities.
Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Upali Pannilage, Deputy Minister Wasantha Piyatissa, Presidential Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma and other senior officials attended the discussion at the Presidential Secretariat.
The disbursement update lands alongside Treasury data showing a Rs. 545 billion primary surplus over January–February 2026 — fiscal headroom the government is channelling into the social-protection layer that the IMF programme had limited in earlier reviews.
