TNA playing politics - Minister

“The TNA is playing politics at the expense of the Tamil community,” said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa addressing the “National Farmers’ Week” final day inauguration ceremony at the Seed Farm in Vavuniya recently. The minister said after terrorism, the people in the North and East are enjoying happiness, unity and the results of development. Some elements including the TNA want to destroy the peaceful life, the people are enjoying.

“The government is committed to the well-being of the Tamil people. We protected the people during the war. We are engaged in post war reconstruction and rehabilitation now. The TNA didn’t do anything to protect the people during the war period. Now they are trying to destabilize the country by promoting racism. The people should defeat these narrow political aims,” he said. The minister said agriculture was neglected during the time of the previous government because thinking at that time was based on industrial development.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has changed that thinking and given priority to the agriculture sector in all development strategies.

The UNP government sold some of the vital institutions of the government in agriculture research and development to the private sector.

“We will protect farmers at whatever cost. The government has restricted import of big onion, chilies, potatoes to safeguard the local market for farmers,” he said.

The government has been providing farmers with a fertilizer subsidy to reduce their input cost during the last five years. Because of the government’s agriculture policy, the farming community of the country is enjoying improved living standards, he said. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Wildlife and Agrarian Services Minister S.M. Chandrasena, Indigenous Medicine Minister Salinda Dissanayake and Northern Province Governor G.A. Chandrasiri also participated.