Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena instructed the State
Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry
Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne to investigate the allegations of providing
substandard rice and accepting money in the government’s free rice distribution
programme.
Following the Prime Minister’s instructions, the Secretary
has directed District Secretaries to carry out an urgent investigation and
submit a report within a week concerning the problems in rice distribution
programme.
The government recently decided to provide a rice subsidy to
groups affected by the current economic situation. This subsidy was
successfully implemented across the country under several categories.
However,
allegations were raised that the rice distributed in the Badulla district was
of inferior quality. Further, it was alleged that free rice had been sold in
the Hambanthota district. The Secretary also mentioned that the ministry plans
to deploy a special investigation team to determine whether this programme is
conducted methodically.
