News

MONLAR blames private rice mafia for annual exploitation of farmers and consumers

Published

5 years ago

2020/11/12

By Rathindra Kuruwita

From 2015 onwards the state had purchased only around 2% of the total paddy produced in the country and thus the government had no power to control rice prices in the market, Chinthaka Rajapakshe of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) said yesterday.

Rajapakshe told The Island that it was the reason for the government’s failure to regulate the price of rice although it had issued four gazettes on the matter from December 2019.

“The latest gazette was published on November 04, but we know that it is impossible to buy rice at the maximum retail price set by the government. This is an indication that the Sri Lankan state has no control over the collection, storing, distribution and the sale of paddy.”

During the Maha Season around 3.2 million metric tonnes of paddy came into the market and the government only had 307 warehouses that could store around 310,000 metric tonnes, Rajapakshe said.

“We did some calculations and it is clear that the private sector buys about 90% of the paddy produced annually, and the government about 2%; the farmers keep the rest.

The government should empower farmers’ associations, cooperatives and small mill owners if it wanted to find a permanent solution to annual rice shortages and high prices experienced by the people, Rajapakshe said.

He said that the impotence of the state had been exposed a few months back during a televised meeting with large scale rice mill owners and public officials. The mill owner insisted that they had purchased paddy from farmers at Rs. 55 and that it was impossible for them to sell at the stipulated price imposed by the government.

“The government officials then asked the mill owners to take release rice to the market or they would be compelled to import rice. They also warned that they would release stocks purchased by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB). Unfortunately, the stocks purchased by the PMB were only sufficient to meet three days’ demand. So, the government will be either compelled to pay massive sums to large rice mill owners or import. None of these are sustainable solutions.”

Rajapakshe said that the government should not accept the narrative of large mill owners that they had purchased paddy from farmers at Rs. 55 a kilo. Although the government had imposed a minimum purchase price for paddy at Rs. 55, large scale mill owners purchased paddy at between Rs. 30 and Rs. 45 a kilo. They surely can give rice at the controlled prices but they know that they can just hoard paddy and sell at higher prices. That’s why the government must empower farmers’ associations, cooperatives and small mill owners to purchase paddy at a reasonable prices and distribute rice to consumers at affordable prices.”

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News

Development Officers threaten to intensify their protest

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/2

Thilina Walpola

Protesting Development Officers continued their hunger strike near the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo yesterday (01), for the seventh consecutive day.The protesters, who are members of the Lanka School Development Officers’ Association, are demanding that they be absorbed into the teacher service as they have served as teachers in state-run schools for nearly seven years.

Secretary of the Association, Viraj Manaranga, said the protesters were seeking an urgent meeting with the President. He added that a presidential aide had visited the protest site and offered to arrange for a meeting with the President on 03 Feb., but the union insisted on an earlier date. Manaranga warned that failure to grant a meeting could trigger a massive protest in Colombo today (02).

Four officers participating in the hunger strike have been hospitalised due to deteriorating health, while two more joined the fast on Saturday (31).

In a bid to raise awareness of their grievances, on 30 January a delegation of the All Island Development Officers’ Association visited Most Venerable

Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera, Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, and subsequently with the Chapter’s Registrar, Ven. Dr. Medagama Dhammananda Thera. The prelates said promises that had been made to them should be fulfilled.

The protest began on 26 January as a satyagraha, after authorities failed to respond to repeated requests to integrate the officers into the teaching service. The escalation into a fast-unto-death underscores the protesters’ frustration over the prolonged delay

by Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon

News

Auditor General to be appointed tomorrow

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/2

Thilina Walpola

Bimal

The long-vacant post of Auditor General would be filled on 03 Feb., after months of controversy and delays, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake said on Friday (31) in Kandy.

The Constitutional Council met at the Parliamentary complex on Friday to discuss the appointment but failed to reach a decision on a suitable candidate. The President had previously proposed four names on four separate occasions, all of which were rejected. The Council is now set to consider the fifth nominee.

The post has remained vacant since April 2025, following the retirement of Chulanta Wickramaratne, who served as the 41st Auditor General. More than 10 months have passed without a permanent appointment.

Sources said a female officer in the Auditor General’s Department has been nominated again, though her previous recommendation was rejected due to some allegations against her.

Meanwhile, senior audit officer Dharmapala Gammanpila, with 31 years of service and the department’s most senior official, has received backing from the Mahanayake Theras of the three Nikayas, the Maha Sangha, and several civil society groups for appointment as the 42nd Auditor General.

Sources noted that the three civil society representatives on the Constitutional Council will play a crucial role in the final decision.

by Chaminda Silva and SK Samaranayake

News

Two arrested for aiding and abetting murder

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/2

Thilina Walpola

Two 18-year-old youth were arrested by the Southern Division of the Western Province Crime Division on 31 January for allegedly aiding and abetting two murders carried out in Dehiwala and Kohuwala. ICE (crystal meth) was found in their possession at the time of arrest.

The suspects are residents of Mount Lavinia and Boralesgamuwa, according to the police. They are accused of having helped carry out a murder at a hotel in the Dehiwala Police Division on 9 January, 2026, and an attack on a person travelling in a three-wheeler at Bodhiyawatta, Kohuwala, on 12 December, 2025.

Police said the charges included sending photographs of the victims to a criminal living overseas.

Investigations revealed that the youth had acted under the direction of a criminal known as Sando.

Under the guidance of Janaka Kumara, Director of the Southern Division of the Western Province Crime Division, investigations are being led by Police Inspector Hemanta Kumara, assisted by Sub-Inspectors Prasanna Gunathilaka and Prasanna (40248), and Constables Chaminda (72987), Anil (79598), Kumar (88762), and Senanayake (19363), who are continuing the probe.

by Norman Palihawadane and Chaminda Silva