Food quantum to Jaffna trebled after A9 closure

How can there be starvation - Commissioner

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

COLOMBO: The Government has dispatched 81,345 metric tons of essential items to Jaffna from August to up todate covering a six-month period, Commissioner General Essential Services S.B. Divaratne said yesterday.

Addressing a media briefing at the Information Department, the Commissioner said of the 81,345 metric tons, 78,729 metric tons of essential items have already been sent and the rest have been loaded for transportation in ships.

At the time when the lorry transportation process was in operation via the A9 road the Government could transport only 26,000 metric tons of essential items to Jaffna.

“This was when the A9 road was open. Considering that we have sent 81,345 metric tons, even if the A9 road was opened, the Government couldn’t have sent such an amount of goods as we have done. Hence sea transportation is vital than the ground transportation,” Divaratne said.

He said the distribution process was progressing successfully through co-operative shops and Navy and Army sales outlets.

According to essential services sources there are adequate sales outlets in the peninsula. He said considering the quantum of essential items sent - even more so than when the A9 road was opened - how he asked could there be starvation as alleged by some.

“When there was no starvation reported when only 26,000 metric tons were sent via the A9 how can there be starvation when 81,000 metric tons have been shipped,” the Commissioner asked.

With the regular transportation of essential commodities to Jaffna the prices have significantly dropped. According to the District Secretariat’s report the price of rice (Samba) is Rs. 48.00, sugar Rs. 68.75 and a kilo of tealeaves Rs. 345, the Commissioner General said.

He admitted that there are some private sector traders who sell a cake of soap at Rs. 50-55 and a kilogramme of tea leaves at Rs. 1,300.

In addition, arrangements are under way to bring B-onions, red onions and tobacco along with other products from the Jaffna peninsula to Colombo using ships that are unloading in Jaffna.

Measures are to be taken to facilitate the marketing of these products from the North. The Government will dispatch all agricultural requirements such as fertiliser, pesticides, weedicides and other equipment and machinery to the North.

Fuel is also sent to Jaffna subject to a slight restriction, the Commissioner said, adding that the limitation had to be put in force to prevent fuel getting into wrong hands.

Even though there is a limitation, there is no scarcity by the reduction. Furthermore all the drugs and other medical requirements have been sent to Government hospitals except Saline and Oxygen cylinders. Saline and Oxygen have to be sent in cold rooms but the ships currently plying don’t have this facility.

The government is paying attention towards maintaining a buffer stock in the near future so that this would answer all the requirements of food and essential commodities in the North, the Commissioner said.

“I must say there isn’t any starvation in Jaffna considering the amount of commodities the government has sent. If that is the case how can some people build bunkers using sacks of rice and dhal. There can’t be any starvation or scarcity since the government has sent 81,345 metric tons in just six months”, Divaratne said.