Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen says the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) is being restructured to prioritise transparency, accountability, and community service.
Her statement comes in response to recent comments made by former Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan.
In a media release on Tuesday morning, Minister Ameen said her Ministry has taken on the task of cleaning up the programme and rebuilding it to serve citizens equitably and without bias.
The Minister highlighted repeated complaints from Regional Corporations, which she said were routinely denied fair access to URP workers and resources.
She also cited credible reports from URP workers who claimed they were sidelined or dismissed based on perceived political affiliation.
Minister Ameen noted that these incidents were not isolated but part of a broader pattern of interference that compromised the programme’s integrity.
She further alleged that many communities were left with unfinished or substandard projects and that URP contracts were frequently awarded to politically connected individuals without proper oversight.
Minister Ameen added that the current government was elected to confront corruption and vowed to fix the issue.