• Ministry to look into taking legal action against officials for irregularities in fertiliser distribution

BY Buddhika Samaraweera   With the intention of rectifying the issues in the process of the distribution of fertiliser in the coming Maha cultivation season, and initiating legal action against any irregularities that have occurred during the process of fertiliser distribution, the Ministry of Agriculture is to conduct a full-scale audit regarding the distribution of urea fertiliser in the Yala season. Speaking to The Morning, an official of the Ministry said that 98% of the distribution of urea fertiliser for the Yala season has been completed by now, adding that the remaining 2% would be completed within this week. He also said that Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera instructed Agriculture Ministry Secretary Rohana Pushpakumara to conduct a full-scale audit on the urea distribution to farmers during the Yala season.  He said that if there are any deficiencies, weaknesses, or irregularities in the distribution of urea fertiliser to farmers, they would be rectified in the process of fertiliser distribution in the coming Maha season. He further said that necessary legal action would be taken against the relevant officials if any irregularities have occurred. The Ministry recently stated that Sri Lanka has so far received 41,000 metric tonnes (MT) of urea fertiliser under the programme of India for providing 65,000 MT of urea fertiliser for the Yala season. Out of the said stock, urea fertiliser has now been distributed among nearly 500,000 farmers who have cultivated more than 300,000 hectares of paddy.