GOVERNMENT WELFARE STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING POVERTY IN SRI LANKA: PRE LIBERALIZATION PERIOD

Poverty has been identified as a serious socio-economics issue during a long period in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka used different strategies to alleviating poverty in different time frames. There was no specific strategy for poverty alleviation in the British colonial period. The article intends to identify the government welfare strategies for alleviating poverty during pre -liberalization period in Sri Lanka. The study utilized the historical review method to analyze the different welfare strategies. The findings revealed that the government used welfare strategies to reduce the poverty and income distribution disparities in the early decades of the 1900 century. After gaining independence in 1948, the government of Sri Lanka decided to continue with the social welfare service for alleviating poverty and reduce the income distribution disparities. The main welfare strategies were conducted through government social welfare expenditure. Food Subsidiary programs, rice programs, health, and education programs were the main welfare strategies of pre liberalization period of the country.