Ex-Uva Governor accuses authorities of turning blind eye to deprivation in the province

The government had completely ignored the burning problems people were faced with in the Uva Province, despite securing significant amounts of votes from there, former Governor of the Uva Province, Maithri Gunaratne said yesterday.

President’s Counsel Gunaratne told The Island that the agriculture sector of the province had almost collapsed with COVID-19. “The farmers in Badulla District are in dire straits, but the government has done nothing to help them.”

Since there was no functioning provincial council, the provincial ministry of agriculture was under the Governor, who, too, had a responsibility to address those issues. “There are no provincial councillors to raise the issue and not a single MP from Uva has done so either. They are all in Colombo enjoying life.”

The former Governor said that only 27% of the fertiliser needs of the farmers in the province had been met and that less than 10% of farmers had received fertilizer at a concessionary rate.

“The fertiliser shortage is crippling vegetable and tea cultivation. Despite the fact that production costs have risen, farmers have been compelled to sell their produce at low prices due to COVID-19. The government needs to step in and do something.”

Gunaratne also said that COVID-19 had also crippled the tourism industry in the Uva province and many people have lost their livelihoods as a result.