Opposition Leader claims government silenced him over paddy pricing

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Friday alleged that the government prevented him from raising issues related to paddy prices and farmers’ concerns at a parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee meeting, describing the move as an attempt to silence the opposition. Speaking during a special statement, Premadasa said the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Sustainable Development had been scheduled to discuss paddy procurement and the country’s rice requirements. He claimed that although he was permitted to attend the committee meeting as an observer in his capacity as Opposition Leader, the committee chairman, Hector Appuhamy, had been informed by the government that Premadasa would not be allowed to express his views. Premadasa said he had previously attended the committee to raise issues affecting the public, particularly farmers, and accused the government of using parliamentary standing orders to suppress opposition voices. He also alleged that the current administration was following the same approach as the previous government, recalling that he had been prevented from participating in a Committee on Public Finance meeting in June 2023. Referring to paddy prices, Premadasa claimed that the government had not gazetted the guaranteed paddy prices until the opposition raised the matter in Parliament after meeting farmer representatives. He further alleged that despite the Agriculture Minister stating that the cost of producing a kilogram of paddy was Rs. 137, the government had announced lower guaranteed prices under a circular, setting Nadu at Rs. 120 per kilogram, Samba at Rs. 130 and Keeri Samba at Rs. 140, subject to conditions including a maximum moisture content of 14%. Premadasa said the opposition would continue to advocate for farmers and press for what it considers a fair guaranteed price for paddy, both inside and outside Parliament. (Newswire)