PARLIAMENT

To meet any food crisis :

Food stocks on reserve

Sandasen MARASINGHE and Disna MUDALIGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided yesterday, when Parliament met at 1pm. After presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up the Food (Amendment) Bill second reading. The regulations under the Paddy Marketing Board Act were presented for approval.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeyawardene Under the amendments to the Food Act, the Government hopes to have in safe storage a consignment of food, which would be made available to the consumers. Under the regulations which were to be approved under the Paddy Marketing Board Act, it would involve many matters including the storage of paddy and reduce waste to prevent the country facing a food shortage.

P Harison (UNP): Whatever the Government says in most areas the paddy harvest of the farmers had not been bought by the Government. Accordingly it was the intermediate businessmen who profit by buying the paddy from the cultivators directly at a lower rate. More than 40 percent of the small scale rice mills have been closed today.

Now Minister Johnston Farnando has ordered the use of plastic boxes for the transport of vegetables.

It is a good decision. But the Government should make available such boxes to farmers who were unable to purchase them.

International Monetary Corporation Senior Minister Sarath Amunugama: Yesterday we spoke of the global crisis, which was the fuel crisis. Today, the other issue was the food crisis.

We have no control over petroleum production. But other issues that Sri Lanka was facing have been successful. When our country was granted independence, the country’s population was 80 million, while today it was 200 million. It is estimated that the population would increase to 210 million after another 10 years.

Deputy Chairman of Committees Chandrakumar Murugesu takes the Chair

But our country was providing us the same amount of food which were better compared to the days when independence was achieved. So food production in Sri Lanka has been successful which had been accepted by the entire world.

Our Government was providing more relief to the farmers. An area of 2,741 hectare in Mannar and 150,696 hectare in the Eastern Province has been cultivated newly. So nobody could complain that the Government was not taking measures to develop agriculture in the country.

Is it bad to strengthen the Paddy Marketing Board?

Ranjith de Soyza (UPFA): Now we were able to identify this period as the era that was changing the cultivation and the cultivator or the farmer as one of the noblest of professions.

There was a period when it was profitable to buy the rice than to cultivate. But it has changed now. Sometime back, the paddy storage centres of the Paddy Marketing Board were sold to shoe factories.

But today the Government is taking steps to strengthen the Paddy Marketing Board under these regulations to support the farmers by buying their harvest.

Now the fertilizer subsidy was being granted to the coconut cultivators.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake (DNA): What does the Government expect by moving these regulations under the Paddy Marketing Board Act for approval?

Today the phenomenon in Sri Lanka was very strange. The price of paddy was very low, but the price of rice was very high. Was it not from paddy that rice is gained?

The farmers were not getting a reasonable price for their products. There was no proper mechanism to decide the price of the products of our farmers. The prices for their products were decided by the fact that it had been produced excessively or lesser than the required amount. It was not a fair mechanism to decide the price of the farmers’ harvest.

The Government has to introduce a proper mechanism to decide on the crops of the farmer.

Health Deputy Minister Lalith Dissanayake: We are taking up an important Bill for debate today. The Food Bill was presented in 1980. Importing, exporting, selling, labelling, storing and packing of food was to be considered by this Bill. The main aim of this Bill was to ensure proper health standards in food. The establishment of Food Counselling Committee was also included in this Bill. Under the amendments of the Bill presented today, the position of Chairman of this committee would be held by the Director of Health Services. Likewise, timely changes which were necessary to strengthen this committee, were introduced by these amendments.

The law would be strictly enacted to maintain proper standards of food storage and sale. This was a broad amendment, which would be essential to the contemporary society. Institutes related to food would come under proper control through this Bill.

Gayantha Karunathilake (UNP): Deputy Minister Dissanayake made a vivid description of the amendments presented to the Food Bill. We assumed this as a timely action and therefore our support was extended towards this move.

The amendments were made understanding the drawbacks of laws and regulations related to food.

During the recent past, we have witnessed a number of incidents of food poisoning which had been due to the consumption of expired or poor quality foods and beverages.

The present Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, was a person who took strick decisions without hesitation. We believe in his capability.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera: We are glad that many Opposition members spoke positively on the amendments presented to the Food Bill as well as regulations under the Paddy Marketing Board Act. The present Government has initiated many programs to uplift the living standards and health standards of the people.

The Need of the Paddy Marketing Board was broadly discussed under the Mahinda Chintana policy. The present Government initiated programs to harvest barren land. To encourage the farmers fertilizer subsidy and to supply fertilizer at Rs 350 was initiated.

As result of our past endeavours to promote agriculture in the country, we have been able to reap the highest paddy cultivation harvest last year.

Last year the Paddy Marketing Board purchased the highest number of metric tonnes of paddy from farmers under the directives of the President. We have come forward to safeguard the farmers and their families.

Due to recent floods, many paddy fields had been destroyed and seventy percent of the vegetable cultivation in upcountry had been destroyed. As a result, prices of vegetables had escalated. As a remedy to this situation, the President as a far sighted leader, had implemented the ‘Divi Neguma’ program, aiming 1 million domestic economic units. The President has directed that vegetables be cultivated instead of flowering plants in the Presidential House compound.

P Ariyanethran (TNA): Agriculture is the back borne of a country. Due to the double floods that lashed the country, about 143,000 acres of cultivations had been completely destroyed.

However, the farmers had still not been compensated.

The Government should pay attention to provide relief to the affected farming families.

The majority of diseases and disorders affecting humans were from the food that was been consumed. Therefore maintaining the quality of food items was essential.

Nishantha Muthuhettigama (UPFA): Both the regulations under the Paddy Marketing Board and Amendments to the Food Bill were highly important to the consumers.

Those days under the previous regimes, priority was given to food items that could be imported to the country easily and cheaply.

But under the leadership of President Rajapaksa, necessary measures have been taken to correct this situation.

By regulations brought to the Paddy Marketing Board, an annual report had to be submitted to the Board regarding paddy distribution and storage.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody takes the Chair.

The Tea industry was controlled by the Tea Marketing Board. It was through the Board that the local tea industry was strengthened.

The Opposition humiliated the Government’s attempt to boost cultivation through the ‘Divi Neguma’ program. They try to discourage this effort. However, the Government was determined to make it a success.

A Adaikkalanathan (TNA): Paddy was the main cultivation in many parts of Sri Lanka. However, cultivations including paddy had not been purchased at a fair price. The Government has purchased only a limited number of metric tonnes of paddy. The farmers have to look for the private sector to sell the rest of the paddy harvest.

They encounter many problems during this endeavour.

The Fishing industry was equally important. Recently the use of certain fishing nets had been banned. Therefore the fishermen have to look for other varieties of fishing nets to continue their occupation.

Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando: As promised by the President the Paddy Marketing Board was set up in 2007. Accordingly, during the last three years, paddy was purchased at a certified price from the farming community.

The Government also maintains a paddy stock to be used in a urgency.

All rice mills would be registered in the country. This would enable collect islandwide data of paddy stocks presently available. This data would help in management decisions.

During the UNP regime, stores and buildings of the Paddy Marketing Board were sold to hotels and to many other business establishments.

A hotel had been established at a Paddy Marketing Board owned store. It could be identified only by a plaque. The Government took over these properties which were valued at all most Rs 500 million.

That was how the UNP Government took measures to strengthen the Paddy Marketing Board. The Opposition has no moral right to talk of the Paddy Marketing Board or of the farmers.

Now the youth have joined the JVP as a party of ‘No Action Talk Only’.

The Opposition said that we imported tomatoes from India. That was not true. We imported eggs from India to break the monopoly of the egg market, maintained by a few businessmen in the country.

They bought eggs from farmers and sold them to the consumer at a higher price.

We have to thank President Mahinda Rajapaksa for taking steps to strengthen the Paddy Marketing Board by securing the farmers and providing rice to the consumers at a reasonable price.

A H M Azwer (UPFA): The Mahinda Chintanaya was accepted by the people of this country. Now he has presented the Mahinda Chintanaya’s Future Vision.

The Mahinda Chintanaya has promised a prosperous future. It promised to re-established the Paddy Marketing Board and it was being done.

The Opposition members were not present now. They were working in accordance to the agenda of foreign inimical forces to our country.

The appointment of the Elections Commissioner was made in accordance with the Constitution.

In the Eastern Province, 38 bridges have been constructed after the elimination of terrorism.

Wildlife and Agrarian Services Minister S M Chandrasena: The rice mills and paddy stores of the Paddy Marketing Board were sold in a manner that would perish the Paddy Marketing Board. We know that during the paddy harvesting season, the paddy buyers were ready to buy the harvest at very low prices. At this stage, the government could only intervene into this unjust business through the Paddy Marketing Board. If not they would exploit the farmers. They were so well organized so as to influence a Government.

National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara: We know that the Opposition cannot tolerate the Bill and the regulations debated today.

It was because these two are directly involved with the market.

These moves provides a background to check even the stores. During the past, we observed that the market did not have food items that were originally produced in the country, even during the festive season. In that manner, a false shortage of food stuffs were created, increasing the prices of commodities.

This was not the need of the society. In order to fulfill the needs of the society, the Government enforced these laws to intervene in these unjust businesses to provide relief to the public.

This was just one promise of the Mahinda Chintanaya.

Now we have to find out non toxic foods for our people. Now it has been revealed that the use of chemical fertilizer caused kidney ailments. So we have to think twice about the use of these chemical fertilizer.

The seeds were crucial during cultivation. So President Mahinda Rajapaksa emphasized the need to resume research on seeds, during the last debate.

The Food (Amendment) Bill and regulations under the Paddy Marketing Board Act were passed without amendments.

Parliament was adjourned until 1 pm today.

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Speaker tells Education Dy Minister:

Look into shortage problems

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday requested Education Deputy Minister Gamini Wijith Wijithamuni de Zoysa to look into teacher shortages in Government schools.

The Speaker stated this in Parliament yesterday when the Deputy Minister responded to a question raised by UNP MP Buddhika Pathirana.

The Deputy Minister admitted that there was a shortage of aesthetic teachers, and said that measures have been taken to recruit 3,000 aesthetic graduates after the conducting of interview.

He said that necessary steps have been taken to recruit English graduates, aesthetic graduates and diploma holders in National Colleges of Education as teachers to overcome the teacher shortage problems completely within a short period of time.

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Adjournment Motion

Pro LTTEer nominated for Queen’s Service Medal

Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera yesterday, stated that the Government of Sri Lanka condemns New Zealand Government Act to nominate pro LTTEer and Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam Leader Arumugam Thevarajan for the Queen’s Service Medal.

He also said the Government was taking all measures against it.

Minister Perera made this observation in response to an adjournment motion moved by UPFA MP Professor Rajiva Wijesinghe.

Professor Rajiva Wijasinghe (UPFA): The Government of New Zealand has proposed the name of the leader of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam Arumugam Thevarajan for the Queen’s Service Medal. He said that it was an action that should not have been done by the New Zealand Government. They have not worked democratically and we don’t think that the New Zealand Government did it deliberately and so we have to make them aware of it.

I do not think that relations between New Zealand and Sri Lankan would be affected due to this problem. At present, New Zealand was helping Sri Lanka to uplift dairy productions in the North.

We have every right to act against separatism. What we request from friendly countries was the help in this endeavour. What steps does the Government take in this regard?

Shehan Serasinghe (UPFA): I second the motion.

Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera: Thevarajan who in New Zealand had been granted the Queen’s Service Medal.

He had been found to have made favourable statements regarding the establishment of a Tamil Eelam. Recognition of his deeds by offering this medal was an act of violation of international norms.

We express our displeasure over it. The Ministry of External Affairs was aware of this matter.

We would take measures to condemn this action and all possible measures would be taken to act against it. We would discuss this issue with the Government of New Zealand, Minister Dilan Perera concluded.

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Friday’s sittings at 1.30 pm

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa had consented to commence sittings of Parliament on Fridays at 1.30pm to enable Muslim MPs and Muslim officers to attend to their obligatory Jumma prayers.

This was done on a request by UPFA MP and Parliament Council Member A H M Azwer. The decision had been approved by the Party Leaders when they met last week.

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Injustice to employees:

Corrective measures to be taken

Education Deputy Minister Gamini Wijith Wijithamuni de Zoysa said that incidents of using laboratory and library employees in labour work have been reported in schools.

The Minister responding to a question raise by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera in Parliament yesterday, said that corrective measures for injustice faced by laboratory and library employees would be taken shortly.

He said that a circular would be issued in the near future to change the designation of library employees and laboratory employees as library assistants and laboratory assistants.

This measure was taken to preserve the employees’ rights as well as preventing them from engaging in labour work at schools.

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Shortage of Senior State Counsel

The Attorney General’s Department has a shortage of 29 Senior State Counsel, according to an answer tabled in Parliament yesterday, by Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

The answer further stated that the Attorney General’s Department require 118 Senior State Counsels for the performance of duties efficiently and without delay. It stated that the Department had only 89 Senior State Counsel at present.

The answer also stated that the Attorney General’s Department had the required number of State Counsel for the performance of duties responsibly and efficiently. This number was 17.

According to the answer a Gazette notification had been issued for the filling of 10 vacancies in the Department and measures had been taken to recruit the said number within the next two months.

The answer was tabled in response to a question raised by UNP MP Ajith P Perera.

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