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FORMER works and transport minister Rohan Sinanan is defending the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) after accusations of corruption, overspending and political interference made by officials, including Local Government and Rural Development Minister Khadeeja Ameen.

In an August 4 statement, Sinanan said, “The articles and statements in respect of the level of influence of gangs in URP references periods of between 2000 and 2015 in the main. Concerted steps were made over the 2016-2024 period to reduce gang culture and interference in the programme.

"Recent articles clearly show that expenditure over the nine-year period of 2016-2024 period was less than half of that over the five-year period of 2010-2015.