Paddy farmers have warned the government that they will launch a mass protest campaign, like Aragalaya, unless a certified price for their produce is announced forthwith. Addressing a media briefing yesterday, Ravindra Jagoda of the Rajarata Govi Sanvidana Ekamuthuwa expressed disappointment at the government’s actions. He noted that the government had reportedly decided on a certified price of Rs 115 per kilogram for nadu paddy, but it was not adequate.

President of the United Rice Millers’ Association Muditha Perera told the media yesterday that the government was dilly-dallying, unable to announce the certified prices for paddy it had decided—Rs. 115 for nadu and Rs. 120 for samba. The Cabinet was expected to announce the prices shortly, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne said at an NPP rally over the weekend that the government would work out a fair price shortly and ensure that the paddy farmers would get a 30% profit for their produce.

Farmers are demanding at least Rs. 140 per kilo of paddy. They are complaining that rice millers purchase their paddy at low prices, ranging from Rs. 80 to Rs. 100. They cannot even recover the production costs by selling paddy at those prices, they say.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has criticised the government for not ensuring a certified price for paddy. Speaking at a public rally in Kurunegala, over the weekend, Premadasa said the government had let down the farmers badly, having obtained their votes to win elections. He urged the government to announce a fair price for paddy and provide the subsidised fertiliser without delay. “They promised to bring in new legislation to ensure that farmers would get fair prices and promised Rs 150 per kilo of paddy,” he said. “But in the midst of the harvesting season, the government hasn’t declared a certified price.”

Premadasa said that although the government claimed to have allocated Rs 5 billion for paddy purchases, it had not instructed the Paddy Marketing Board to buy paddy from farmers.

He also raised concerns about several red-labelled containers recently released from the Colombo Port without Customs inspection. “Who authorised their release? The government insists that there has been NO wrongdoing and that the containers carried no illegal goods, but how they can make such claims without even inspecting the containers,” he said.

SJB MP and Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance Dr. de Silva told the media yesterday that he believed that the certified price should be raised to Rs 130 rupees per kilo of rice.

Members of the Disability Organisations Joint Front (DOJF) have called on the government to estblish an independent commission, specifically aimed at addressing the issues faced by persons with disabilities, the Parliament’s media division said.

They made this call during a meeting with Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne in Parliament last week, where they discussed a series of ongoing challenges faced by the disabled community in Sri Lanka.

The meeting was attended by MP Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera, and Chairperson of the DOJF, Rasanjali Pathirage.

The DOJF members highlighted the need for greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in the country’s policy-making processes. Despite representing a significant portion of Sri Lanka’s population, people with disabilities are often left out of decisions that directly affect their lives, the members stressed.

One of the key requests put forward during the meeting was the establishment of an independent commission to specifically address the issues faced by persons with disabilities. The DOJF called for a formal coordination programme that would include policy formulation and strategic solutions, ensuring that the needs of people with disabilities are met in all sectors, including healthcare, education, and employment.

Furthermore, the DOJF emphasised the importance of passing the Bill to recognise sign language as a national language, a move they believe would greatly enhance communication access for the hearing-impaired community. The organization also pointed out the pressing need for a comprehensive health programme targeting the unique challenges faced by women with hearing impairments.

In addition, the DOJF members requested the Speaker to facilitate the re-establishment of the ‘Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities’ in the Tenth Parliament. This initiative, they argued, would provide a structured platform for addressing the long-standing issues of people with disabilities and ensure that their voices are heard in the legislative process.

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne said that for the first time in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary history, a visually impaired MP Sugath Wasantha de Silva, is serving as a representative. He further mentioned that MP Sugath Wasantha de Silva had already made a formal request to the Secretary General of Parliament to establish the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities. The Speaker assured the DOJF that the caucus would be set up promptly, recognizing its potential to address the critical issues faced by people with disabilities in Sri Lanka, Parliament media division said.

by Dinasena Rathugamage

An unidentified disease has rapidly spread among pigs in several villages, including Selvanagar in Kilinochchi, leading to the deaths of 185 adult animals and over 200 piglets in two days.

Provincial veterinarians have been alerted to the situation.

Piggery owners have begun burying the dead animals in villages amidst protests from villagers. They also fear that the meat from the diseased pigs could be sold to the public by unscrupulous piggery owners and traders, posing a significant public health risk.