News
Powerful millers floor govt., do away with ceiling price for rice
Rice Mill owners yesterday (28) announced new retail prices for different types of rice after the government lifted price controls on Monday night.
Addressing the media, one of the leading millers Dudley Sirisena said that they had priced a kilo of Nadu Rice at Rs. 115, a kilo of Samba at Rs. 140 and Keeri Samba at Rs. 165. “These are the retail price,” he said.
“These are for high quality rice. However, there will be inferior quality rice at a cheaper rate in the market,” the younger brother of former President Maithripala Sirisena said.
Sirisena also said that large scale mill owners had decided to purchase Nadu paddy at Rs 62.50 per kilo, Samba at Rs. 70 and Keeri Samba at Rs. 80.
The government rescinded gazettes issued in respect of price controls after influential millers refused to give in to pressure. The government recently seized rice stocks in Polonnaruwa but couldn’t compel the millers to release sufficient stocks to the market. (RK)