Big Onion farmers not paid subsidy - Namal Karunaratne

National Organiser of the Ceylon Agrarian Congress Namal Karunaratne said the politicians had totally forgotten the issues affecting the agricultural sector and instead focused attention on political issues.

Addressing a meeting with the officials of the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat regarding the neglect of paying the subsidy for big onion farmers in Dambulla and Galewela area, he said the main concern of the politicians is the date of holding the provincial council elections and who would be the common candidate contesting the Presidential Election.

“Increasing the number of cabinet ministers, some who are alleged to have received money from Makandure Madush, and involved in underworld activities were the other issues gathering momentum in the political circles. Meanwhile the burning issues affecting the country are going from bad to worse. Much has been written and talked about the fraud involving Aloysius and 118 individuals who received money from him. However the country has totally forgotten it.the latest is the arrest of Madush. All these are political gimmicks used to brush under the carpet the burning issues in the country, he said.

State Minister of Agriculture Wasantha Aluvihare said the government was taking steps to increase the big onion production to save foreign exchange spent on imports. He promised to take up the issues affecting the big onion farmers and to resolve them soon.