Estate workers to get rice at concessionary prices

Irangika Range

COLOMBO: The Government has enabled the estate community to purchase a kilo of rice at a concessionary rate of Rs. 50 through the co-operatives under the its programme of releasing sufficient rice stocks daily to the market through the Food Commissioners' Department (FCD) in Narahenpita.

Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardhana told the Daily News ample red nadu and white rice stocks are released to Co-operatives, Sathosa branches and Co-op Cities across the country including the Up country through the FCD.

"Though we provide a kilo of rice at Rs.60 as a relief measure to consumers, the estate community has the opportunity to purchase a kilo of rice at a concessionary rate of Rs.50.

This decision was taken to popularise rice consumption among the estate community to promote their nutritional standards.

It is a budget proposal to direct the estate community to consume rice aiming to decrease wheat flour consumption among them. "We want to minimise wheat consumption among the estate community as we spend a huge amount of money to import wheat flour," the Minister added.

This move will benefit for over 200,000 estate dewellers in the hill country. He said the Co-operatives release sufficient rice to the estate community on coupons issued by Grama Niladhari Officials in the respective areas.