NO DROUGHT RELIEF ALL CEYLON AGRARIAN FEDERATION ON WARPATH

The farmes have decided to march to Colombo and stage a massive protest at the Ministry of Agriculture if the minister failed to pay compensation for crop losses farmers all over the country had suffered.

National organizer of the federation Namal Karunaratne told the media in Dambulla that the government had ignored the urgent need to provide relief to farmers who had been seriously affected by droughts over several cultivation seasons.

“The government promised to pay Rs.10,000 per month for a period of four months. An estimated 730,000 farmers were entitled to drought relief. However, the government paid only Rs.8500.00 but the majority of the affected farmers had not received even that compensation. We sent a written request to the minister for an appointment to take up the issue with him with copies to the President and the Prime Minister, but to no avail. We give two weeks time to the minister that if he continued to ignore our predicament thousands of farmers would march to the ministry in Colombo. This government is following the path of the previous regime of President Rajapaksa. The All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation has also pledged support to the ongoing

The government promised to pay Rs.10,000 per month for a period of four months. An estimated 730,000 farmers were entitled to drought relief

SAITM protest. Meanwhile the Joint Opposition is pleased with the prevailing situation through which they hope to gain cheap political mileage. The people should take a decision against the two groups,” he said.

Vice President of the Agrarian Federation Susantha Kumara Navaratne addressed the media.