‘Yahapalana’ government’s Rs.4000 million fraud to be taken to FCID

MONDAY, 08 FEBRUARY 2016

All Ceylon Farmers Federation has decided to complain to the FCID against the Minister of Agriculture and Paddy Marketing Board for inflicting a loss of Rs.4000 million to the government by handing over 234,800 metric tons of ‘Nadu’ paddy to three mill owners, who are close associated of the government, at reduced prices. They also have taken a decision to take legal action.

The complaint would be filed at FCID tomorrow (9th) and All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation will be joined by United Rice Mill Owner s Association, Small and Medium Rice Mill Owners Association said the National Organizer of All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation Namal Karunaratna participating as the chief guest of the 2nd Anniversary Summit of Dambulla United Farmers Foundation held at Dambulla yesterday (7th).

During the previous season Paddy Marketing Board bought from farmers 234,000 metric tons of ‘Nadu’ paddy at the rate of Rs.45 a kilo and 29,000 metric tons of ‘Samba’ paddy at Rs.50 a kilo. The government also spent Rs.3.00 per kilo as handling charges and Mr. Namal Karunaratna pointed out that the government had spent Rs.48 for a kilo of ‘Nadu’ paddy.

Despite small and medium mill owners requesting on several occasions to make the stock of paddy available for them at a fair price to mill it into rice, the government, without agreeing to it, sold the paddy to three of its favourite mill owners at Rs.35 a kilo said Mr. Karunaratna.

This is the biggest financial fraud of the ‘yahapalana’ government said Mr. Karunaratna and added that a team of lawyers has been assigned to take legal action against the sordid act.