The Sarvajana Balaya criticised the Government and its agricultural authorities for their alleged inability to address issues related to the so-called 'rice mafia', claiming that the Government intentionally allows the oligarchy to exist.

Speaking to the media yesterday (24), Sarvajana Balaya Chairperson and former minister Roshan Ranasinghe alleged that the Government has neglected purchasing paddy from domestic farmers, even though State-owned stores were hurriedly renovated. He also said that the Government deceived farmers while facilitating the business community to import rice. He accused the Government of turning rice imports into a profitable source of income for election campaigns. "The Government was ready to purchase paddy. They cleared the stores. It was just another media show. They deliberately abandoned it. The Government prefers to import rice so that they can generate funds for elections and support rice mill owners who funded them during previous elections," he alleged.

Ranasinghe also urged consumers not to store large amounts of rice, as it could allow the 'rice mafia' to exploit consumers under the guise of a rice shortage. "This exploitation cannot be stopped. It happens with the Government's blessing," he further claimed. He further opined that the Government lacks the capability to generate income, claiming that their inexperience in governance has led to this situation.

In December of last year (2024), the Government authorised rice imports to address a domestic shortage reported last year. Initially, a gazette notification on 4 December permitted private importers to import rice until 20 December. However, the Government extended the import deadline later to 10 January of this year (2025), to further stabilise the market. It was reported that the Customs had cleared around 75,000 metric tonnes (MT) of imported rice, including 32,000 MT of samba and 43,000 MT of nadu rice during this period.