Roses for pooja held at BIA by plant quarantine officers

Airport sources told the Sunday Island that their union leaders held a meeting in support of the Plant Quarantine Unit officials who feared victimization after stopping the release of 20 crates of roses from India brought to the country by businessman Thirukumar Nadesan.

Plant quarantine officials have stopped the cargo consignment before release to the Customs on Tuesday. Later they detected insects in the roses and prevented their release, airport sources said.

The roses had been brought down to be used in a pooja to be held in Colombo last Wednesday, sources said.

Many calls had been made by some officials attached to the Presidential Secretariat to get the cargo released. However airport officials did not give into pressure and refused to release the crates.

Airport sources told the Sunday Island that officials had notified the importer that they would destroy the consignment under provisions of the Plant Quarantine Act and the Fauna and Flora Ordinance and requested him to call at the airport to be present when the consignment was destroyed. As no representative turned up, the stocks of roses were lying at the Airport’s cargo section on Friday evening, sources said.

Attempts to contact Mr Nadesan and Chief of Staff of the Presidential Secretariat Sagala Ratnayake for comment were not successful.