Warehouse taken over

Irangika Range

The State warehouse of the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) in Hasalaka which had been leased to a crony of a bigwig of the 2002 UNP Government has been taken over by the PMB yesterday on the instructions of Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando. This warehouse was taken over by the PMB under the state program of taking over all warehouses which were lost due to various reasons during the past regimes.

The Hasalaka warehouse has been leased to a friend of powerful UNP figure in 2002 without a single cent been paid, the Minister said.

When Minister Fernando got information about this deal during his observation tour to Minipe and Ampara recently, he ordered the PMB Chairman to take over this warehouse urgently. Accordingly, PMB officials with the assistance of the Hasalaka Police took over the warehouse yesterday.

This warehouse will be used to store paddy stocks purchased from farmers in the Ampara and Mahiyangana areas.