March 18, Colombo (LNW): A portion of the government’s fertiliser subsidy funds intended for farmers has been misappropriated, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Namal Karunaratne disclosed.
This revelation came in response to a question raised by MP Susantha Kumara Nawarathna during a parliamentary session this (18) morning.
The Deputy Minister informed the house that a total of Rs. 2,934,310, allocated for fertiliser subsidies for 155 farmers in the Anuradhapura district, has been stolen.
This substantial amount was earmarked to support agricultural activities but has instead disappeared due to misappropriation.
In response to the incident, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that one official has already been arrested in connection with the theft.
Additionally, a formal complaint has been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has launched a full investigation into the matter.
The Deputy Minister assured that further inquiries are underway to determine the extent of the misappropriation and identify all individuals involved.
