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| Monday, 2 February 2004 |
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The All Ceylon Peasants Confederation, the JVP-backed farmers' union yesterday accused the government of withdrawing the fertiliser subsidy to satisfy international lending Institutions. They are to go on hunger strike from the 6th of February. The Union's secretary S.K. Subasingha at a press conference held in Colombo yesterday said that seven sit-in protest campaigns will be conducted islandwide to urge the government to bring down the fertiliser prices. The protest campaign is conducted simultaneously in seven districts including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ampara and Embilipitiya organised by the ACPC, Subasingha said. The Ministry of Agriculture has invited the ACPC to a discussion on this matter but the union maintained that the Finance Ministry was responsible for the fertiliser price increase. "The endeavour of our members is not just to get a price reduction but we want a formula and a mechanism for fertiliser prices, so that the fluctuation of the rupee and inflation will not affect the fertiliser prices adversely." The JVP backed Peasants Confederation Secretary S. K. Subasinghe. The ACPC said that they have taken measures to organise a fast-unto-death campaign, if they did not get a positive response from the government. "We are planning for a fast-unto-death campaign in Colombo during the first week of February," Subasinghe added. "We have more challenges to face and win," he said, adding that the proposed 'Water Management Bill' was an example. He alleged that the open market economy was the force behind the destruction of the agriculture-based economy. |
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