PUTRAJAYA: The allocation of RM100mil to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) under Budget 2023 has been fully disbursed and has benefited more than 100,000 individuals, says Mitra Special Task Force Committee chairman Datuk R. Ramanan (pic).

"This is the first time the 100% distribution has been achieved since 2016,” he said in a press conference Wednesday (Sept 20), adding that the allocation of RM100mil in 2016 and 2017 only reached 35% and 57% distribution, respectively.

Meanwhile, Ramanan said Mitra is in the process of preparing documents for disbursing funds for Mitra's Hardcore Poverty Alleviation programme for Indian households, adding that it will be implemented in phases.

"The implementation of the first phase will focus on the hardcore poor Indian community in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, with a total of 1,800 households identified through the Implementation Coordination Unit's (ICU) e-kasih system,” he said.

Ramanan said the per capita income of the group is less than RM339, and it should be increased so that they can get out of the hardcore poverty category.

He said Mitra will ensure that the distribution of funds is transparent, with each recipient of the funds under the programme being uploaded on Mitra's website to avoid confusion.

Regarding Budget 2024, which will be tabled next month, Ramanan said he was confident that more allocations for the Indian community would be provided since this year's RM100mil fund had been fully disbursed.

Mitra is an agency under the Prime Minister’s Department established to reform the socio-economic development policy of the Indian community to be on par with other communities in the country.- Bernama