Dismay for Ditwah victims: GOVERNMENT'S RELIEF POLICIES COMPENSATION MECHANISMS BECOME A MATTER OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN

The data released by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka indicate that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has so far disbursed more than Rs. 24.4 billion in relief and compensation for those affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

- By Prageeth Karunathilaka and Sudharika Gurusinghe

According to the data, the principal compensation payment has been the Rs. 25,000 house-cleaning allowance, which has been paid to 423,914 households. This represents more than 97% of the affected households. In addition, Rs. 50,000 has been provided for the restoration of damaged property and equipment to 115,757 households.

Furthermore, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had instructed officials to complete compensation payments by the end of May, including Rs. 5 million for fully destroyed houses and Rs. 500,000 for partially damaged houses. However, the compensation process has now encountered serious difficulties, as thousands of affected individuals remain on waiting lists to receive compensation for both partially damaged and fully destroyed houses. The disaster relief policies and compensation mechanisms implemented by the Government have become a matter of significant concern.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had instructed officials to complete compensation payments by the end of May

A circular was issued to ensure the proper administration of compensation payments for damages caused by Cyclone Ditwah. This circular was issued under Budget Circular No. 08/2025. It served as the principal legal and administrative framework established by the Government for providing relief, compensation, and restoring public services for those affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

Key circulars and guidelines

Under this circular, Divisional Secretaries were vested with the authority to engage public officials at the grassroots level and collect essential information required to restore public services that had collapsed in disaster-affected areas. Against this backdrop, a series of key circulars and guidelines relating to disaster relief for the year 2026 were issued.