Govt. to spend Rs 122 mn to distribute 6.8 mn litres of diesel donated by China to Lankan farmers

By Ifham Nizam

The government would allocate Rs.122 million for the distribution of diesel donated by the Government of China to paddy farmers, a top Agricultural Ministry official said.

Agriculture Ministry Secretary, Gunadasa Samarasinghe, yesterday, said that arrangements had been made to pay the relevant amount to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, using the funds to be received this year.

The Department of Agrarian Services is currently distributing the 6.8 million litres of diesel that the Chinese government gave free of charge to the paddy farmers for Maha season paddy harvesting.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the government would spend 122 million rupees on the distribution of the relevant diesel stock by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, through bowers, countrywide.