PUTRAJAYA, Sept 20 ― The allocation of RM100 million to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) under Budget 2023 has been fully disbursed, and has benefited more than 100,000 individuals, said Mitra Special Task Force Committee chairman Datuk R. Ramanan.

"This 100 per cent distribution is the first time (achieved) since 2016,” he said, in a press conference here today, adding that the allocation of RM100 million in 2016 and 2017 only reached 35 per cent and 57 per cent distribution respectively.

In the meantime, Ramanan said Mitra is in the process of preparing documents for disbursing funds for Mitra's Hardcore Poverty Alleviation programme for Indian households, which 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 the RM100 million fund had been fully disbursed for this year.

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