Joint Opposition flays govt. for offering croton and jak leaves to hungry people
Posted on January 15th, 2017
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island
Top Joint Opposition Spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday said that recent government declaration Sri Lankans should get accustomed to living on croton, jak leaves (kos kola) as well as yam was in accordance with the foolish agricultural policy of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration.
Those who had been boasting of the yahapalana rule should be ashamed of the government they elected in Jan. 2015, former External Affairs Minister Prof. Peiris told The Island yesterday.
Pointing out that croton and jack leaves had been offered on the third anniversary of Maithripala Sirisena’s victory at the last presidential poll, Prof. Peiris said that the electorate would surely give a fitting response to both UNP and the SLFP at forthcoming Local Government and Provincial Council polls.
Prof. Peiris pointed out that yahapalana government’s agriculture policy had been articulated by Dr. Rohan Wijekoon, Director General, Department of Agriculture at a recent meeting held in Kandy where ways and means of coping with drought and other environmental challenges were discussed. Dr. Wijekoon had wittingly or unwittingly exposed the folly of the government policy, Prof. Peiris said.
He said the people would certainly like to know whether the decision in respect of new agricultural policy had been taken at the cabinet and who proposed the move. Prof. Peiris said that people had expressed shock and anger when he explained the government proposal at several meetings held over the weekend in Dompe and Moratuwa electorates.
Alleging that the government had been successful in its despicable project to discourage the farming community, the former minister claimed that tens of thousands of acres of paddy land hadn’t been cultivated in 2016. The situation would deteriorate further this year, Prof. Peiris said, noting that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had, on several occasions, pointed out the danger in short-sighted and reckless policies of the ruling coalition.
Having pledged to alleviate poverty in 2017, the people had been offered jack leaves, Prof. Peiris said, alleging that the government was only capable of robbing the country. If the coalition continued till 2020, the people would be forced to live on a variety of leaves not only during drought, the Prof. said.
Recent declaration made by attorney-at-law Maithri Gunaratne, Chairman, Lanka Coal Company pertaining to massive corruption in the controversial contract to Swiss Singapore Overseas Enterprises Pvt Limited alleged to have caused losses amounting to nearly four billion rupees at an earlier occasion revealed the pathetic situation, Prof. Peiris said those who had promised good governance and accountability in the wake of 19th Amendment to the Constitution were silent today.
Recollecting how the Supreme had declared that the questionable coal deal had shaken the conscience of the apex court, Prof. Peiris pointed out that Maithri Gunaratne was of the opinion the country could have obtained coal supplies at much better terms if he had been allowed to call for fresh tenders. Prof. Peiris said the government should take the responsibility for the increases in the electricity tariff.
Prof. Peiris alleged that the UNP had tricked President Maithripala Sirisena into participating in the launch of a project at Kuliyapitiya by a local investor after having pledged to bring in investment from Volkswagen. The former minister challenged the government to reveal the entire range of concessions given to Western Automobile, formerly Senok to bring in USD 25.5 mn in new investments.
The JO spokesman said that the forthcoming parliamentary debate on Central Bank bond scams would give an opportunity to the country to comprehend the magnitude of the robbery perpetrated on the people. The top UNP leadership couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for causing such a colossal fraud for the benefit of a few, Prof. Peiris said, pointing out that Perpetual Treasuries had received as much as Rs. 25 bn in profits at the expense of the country.
January 15th, 2017 at 4:37 pm
This is part of the Indian Empire plans. As soon as this Indian government was installed Indian colonial parasites staple foods prices were reduced and are still low.
The plan is simple. Make the Sinhales poor and starve. This is the age old way of keeping the subjects of a colony under control and wiping them out at last..
January 15th, 2017 at 5:43 pm
Having destroyed paddy cultivation by removing subsidies, neglecting irrigation systems and reduced budget allocations, the government is now insulting the people with absurd demands. In addition to the insanity of the regime, its abject insensitivity to the people (particularly the poor) is shocking.
If things go on like this, ministers of this regime will soon have to consume these things.
January 15th, 2017 at 7:34 pm
The last time an insensitive QUEEN advised her people to eat cake if they don’t have bread, she was BEHEADED!
The headless-chickens of the Yamapalanaya are CLEARLY hurtling down the same suicidal path to their destruction!
January 16th, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Patriots!
As we speak, there is a severe drought sweeping across the Northern and Central areas of Sri Lanka, demolishing the rice harvest, eliminating the incomes and destroying the livilihoods of farmers, and denying people adequate drinking water and food.
The water shortage has reduced the water levels in reservoirs used to generate hydroelectricity. Soon, there will also be significant power cuts throughout the country. In many areas, towns and cities are already cutting back the hours when they supply both electricity and water to residences and businesses.
The affected area is widespread and includes Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Dambulla, Moneragala, Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, and even Kandy.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO GO TO WORK to help our own survive this disaster, working individually, and in concert with temples and private and public organizations.
I have adopted many families with poor children into my own family, and some of them live in these areas afeted by this drought. Yesterday, I arranged for some of them to get food and drinking water supplies to last them six months.
In certain cases I will also install plastic water storage tanks, rain water harvesting systems,and inexpensive tube wells and water putilisation systems. I am planning to drill these tube wells to pump out underground water using very inexpensive water well drilling technology.
Water from these wells will also need to be purified to get safe drinking water. That is why I earlier presented an estimate of how much water can be collected from a small roof-based rain water collection system. I also presented a cost estimate for an inexpensive Reverse Osmosis water purification system. I will present yet another cost estimate for a system with the capability to remineralize RO water to replace Calcium and Magnesium stripped from the ground water by the RO system. However, during the emergency created by this drought, it is simpler to provide multi-mineral supplements, ONE pill per day.
I URGE ALL OF YOU to go into top gear helping our people with this looming water and food crisis. The NEED is GREAT.
January 16th, 2017 at 12:22 pm
Oops! That should read “water purification systems”!
January 16th, 2017 at 12:49 pm
“The affected area is widespread and includes Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Dambulla, Moneragala, Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, and even Kandy.”
ONLY Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Dambulla and Moneragala should be helped.
Don’t end up like the rat that chewed away the tiger trap only to be EATEN by the released tiger!
January 21st, 2017 at 1:58 pm
Ananda,
Bless you and yours for the help you give Sri Lankans in her hour of need.
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What is Yahap doing to help out the needy in drought ridden areas …?