Instead of bowing down to the rice mafia, the Government should get hold of the companies that store rice and distribute stocks among the public says State Minister of Coconut, Kithul and Palmyrah Cultivation Promotion and Related Industrial Product Manufacturing & Export Diversification Arundika Fernando. He made this statement during a media brief held yesterday (30). "The Government should not bow down to the rice mafia. We need to take over these companies that store rice and distribute their stocks among the public. We must acquire the companies that are making exorbitant profit margins which are exploiting the public. This applies to local and multi-national companies. Dairy companies and wheat flour companies are not prepared to support the Government during these difficult times. The time has come to put an end to this exploitation," he said. Fernando further added that this was the same issue with the LP gas industry, and a sustainable solution must be sought and the people must move on, or else there would be a clash between the private companies and the Government. "We will clash and defeat anyone who comes in our way. Whether it is a private organisation or multinational company. That is the policy of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. These forces must be dealt with so that it will be the people who benefit in the end," concluded Fernando.