The rice shortage in the market during the New Year holidays has been addressed, said the Ministry of Agriculture while assuring that there wouldn’t be any disruption to the rice supply in the days ahead. The Ministry further urged the public not to panic. Responding to the issue of an impending rice shortage due to government price controls, Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation, and Rural Development Secretary Neel Bandara Hapuhinne told The Morning that there was a temporary shortage in the market during the New Year holidays, but now it had returned to normalcy as there were ample rice stocks in state and privately owned storages. “There is no shortage of rice and the maximum retail prices (MRPs) imposed on several rice varieties would be strictly implemented and therefore the public can purchase rice at lower prices,” Hapuhinne said. Accordingly, the MRP prices of rice varieties including keeri samba, white/red samba, white/red raw samba, steamed/boiled white/red nadu, and steamed/boiled white/red raw rice are Rs. 125, 90, 90, 90, and 85 respectively. However, when The Morning contacted All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation (ACFF) Convener Namal Karunaratne, he stressed that the Government should take strict measures against those mill owners who would not comply with government regulations and those who try to hide stocks to create an artificial shortage. The majority of stocks are available with private mill owners, and the Government including the stocks at Army have only around 50,000 MT of paddy at present, Karunaratne said adding that therefore it was important to control the large-scale private mill owners by implementing the regulations strictly. Speaking to The Morning, Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Director Asela Bandara stressed that strict legal action would be taken against those who sell rice above the MRP. By Maheesha Mudugamuwa