Minister visits drought-hit paddy lands

Tennakoon KULASEKERA

Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena visited Talawa on an inspection tour of paddy lands cultivated under the Kalawewa project which have been severely affected by the drought without proper irrigation facilities on Sunday. The minister met the President of the Alliance of Farmers' Associations in Talawa, Jinadasa Gunaratne and discussed farmer problems with him.

Gunaratne told the minister that the drought is a natural feature during the Yala Season.

Farmers who were aware of it cultivated their lands with paddy expecting rains. But rains have failed and their crop had dried and wilted depriving them of an income and a diet.

He said farmers were not against the government. They conducted agitation campaigns recently to draw attention to their plight and obtain some relief.