Indian PM agrees to provide fertiliser for Yala, says President

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on Wednesday, said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to provide the fertiliser required for the Yala season cultivation immediately.

The fertiliser would be supplied under the Indian loan facility, and it would be distributed within 20 days of receiving the shipment.

The President said so during a discussion hat the President’s House, Colombo, on the challenges facing the irrigation sector and possible solutions to those challenges.

It was revealed at the discussion that the Uma Oya and Moragahakanda projects could be completed before the end of the year. The Morana, Mahagalgamuwa Poshitha Ela, Mahagona Wewa, Vilakandiya Wewa, and Godigamuwa Wewa projects would be completed concurrently.

President Rajapaksa instructed officials to take necessary measures to complete the foreign-funded projects within the stipulated time.

It was also revealed that 80% of the total electricity generation in the past three days was supplied to the national grid by hydro and wind power. The President said that steps should be taken to enhance floating solar panel projects as well to increase the benefits given for roof-mounted solar panels with the objective of encouraging consumers.

Special attention was paid to the cultivation activities during the Yala season and 50% of the lands under the Irrigation Department and the Mahaweli Authority have already been cultivated. Irrigation Minister Roshan Ranasinghe said that 250,000 Mahaweli home gardens had been planned for cultivation of additional crops and lands that had not been cultivated so far had been utilised for the cultivation of other crops.

President’s Chief of Staff Anura Dissanayake, Secretary to the Ministry U. D C. Jayalal, and other officials of the line agencies of the Ministry were also present at the discussion.