Agriculture Minister still grappling with rice mafia

BY CYRIL WIMALASURENDRE

KANDY – Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage again vowed to eliminate the rice mafia of the country. The government  would strive to get it under its  grip during the  forthcoming  season, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said in Kandy on Saturday (29). 

Speaking to the media at the Central Province Governor’s Secretariat, Minister Aluthgamage said there was no need for people to panic about shortages as the government had made all arrangements to supply rice on call from authorised retail dealers through the Cooperative Wholesale Establishments (CWE).

The respective District Secretaries through the Divisional Secretaries had been directed to appoint authorised mobile consumer goods suppliers to take the goods to the door steps of the people during the lockdown season, Minister Aluthgamage said.

The CWE had sufficient stocks of rice at Rs.91 a kilo of raw rice and at Rs.94 a kilo of nadu rice, the Minister said.

The Minister dismissed as false reports that the country was experiencing a shortage of organic fertiliser.