A state-run, well-established social security system is a key indicator of a progressing nation. Mainly in developed countries this serves as a foundation promoting equality amidst diversity among their citizens.

Such social security systems provide citizens a safety, financially or as services, when they are faced with contingencies of old age, disability, unemployment, raising children and curative or preventive medical care needs. Even though, in the Sri Lankan context of social security system does not apply to such broader spectrum, Sri Lanka witness welfare programmes especially aiming at poverty alleviation through providing a safety system for citizens living under the designated poverty lines.

The actual ground situation of these welfare systems surfaced and sent shock waves across communities, despite it being a public secret among Sri Lankans. Several Samurdhi Bank officials in Akuressa in Matara, refusing to allow a beneficiary to retrieve money, went viral over the Social Media, which eventually caught the attention of the relevant ministries and authorities. The video footage also showed a woman bank officer threatening fellow officers and use abusive words against beneficiaries standing nearby. The news report relate to the incident,  as reported in The Daily Morning on 24 September, described that  beneficiaries gathered at the said bank complained for not being able to withdraw their money deposited in their own accounts and only possible by pleading with the Bank officials.

This may be one of the instances of many that surfaced following the chaos with “Aswesuma” welfare programme witnessed a few months ago.

As of now, the authorities are probing the incident, yet can we expect a holistic change in the entire system that provides social security and welfare in the country? Can we expect a humane approach at the grass root level in taking care of the vulnerable communities?

There have been several Government attempts to establish safety for vulnerable groups in our communities, especially those living below the poverty line. The earliest as remembered would be “Jana Saviya” programme. And later much discussed “Samurdhi” replaced the “Jana Saviya” programme. And recently the Government of Sri Lanka established “Aswesuma” - a welfare fund. Sri Lankan social security welfare has whirled around serving those living below the designated poverty line and poverty alleviation is the master plan. Today the “Aswesuma” welfare fund has identified over 1.5 million persons as eligible beneficiaries and as of data from 2020 there are approximately 1.8 million Samurdhi beneficiaries across the country.

However meritorious the thinking at the policy-making level, at the grass root level, nature of treating the vulnerable communities do defer. Sri Lankans have seen and heard this bitter truth yet has preferred to stay on standards following the “say no evil, hear no evil, see no evil” term. Yet commendably, the recent incident at the Akuressa Samurdhi Bank, created uproar among the public, at least among the online community. The special mention in the media took the case beyond boundaries. Yet all these attempts did not reach the elevated level in considering the incident with an eagle’s eyes point of view. In a few weeks the heat of the arguments will cool down and people will “chill” returning back to the same old habits – leaving the problem still at square one.

One priority would be the Government to understand, in the modern world context, that social welfare is not just about poverty alleviation. It needs to extend further, genuinely benefit our fellow citizens facing vulnerabilities.

Social service is a stressful job and officials at the grass root level face the tension first hand. Therefore, another aspect in finding long-term solution is establishing a coping mechanism, a code of conduct for the serving officers at the ground level, directed from the policy decision making desks.

As long as the system continues to maintain the dependent mentality among vulnerable groups of communities, we will be unable to change the way they get treated and will continue to numerous Akuressa-like incidents in our life time and probably of the future generation too.