VIDEO: Johnston working with the UNP mentality - Wijenayake
December 14, 2011 12:44 pm
Former Deputy Minister and NFF politburo member Piyasiri Wijenayake
today questioned whether Minister Johnston Fernando was operating with the UNP
mentality. Criticizing the Minister’s decision
regarding the new regulations on vegetable and fruit transportation he added
that it has created a major fiasco in the country.
The country’s market and economy is at the doorstep of disarray due to
the issue, Wijenayake added.
The whole way in which the matter was brought about is wrong. The
Minister, Ministry officials waiting with sticks to chastise those transporting
vegetables in gunny bags is inappropriate, he added.
This has to be implemented gradually and in the initial stage plastic
crates need to be distributed at a concessionary rate of Rs.200-300, Wijenayake
claimed. He also highlighted that when lorries transport vegetables from faraway
places to Colombo generally they travel back with goods from Colombo back to
those areas, however now the plastic crates need to be transported back causing
a huge loss for the traders.
