Deputy Minister reveals fertilizer subsidy theft in Parliament

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Namal Karunaratne, stated that some farmers have not received the fertilizer subsidy funds provided by the government, and it has now been revealed that these funds were stolen.

The Deputy Minister disclosed this information today (March 18) in the Parliament of Sri Lanka while responding to a question raised by MP Susantha Kumara Nawarathna.

During the discussion, he revealed that in the Anuradhapura district alone, Rs. 2,934,310 allocated as fertilizer subsidies for 155 farmers had been misappropriated.

He further stated that a female official has already been taken into custody in connection with the incident.

Additionally, complaints have been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding the misplacement of some farmers’ fertilizer subsidy funds, and further investigations are underway, according to Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne.