A fundamental rights (FR) petition has been filed with the Supreme Court seeking compensation for the farmers who suffered crop damages and the detriment caused to the country’s agriculture sector as a result of the ban on the import of chemical fertilizers without a proper study.

Attorneys-at-Law Eranda Weliange and Tharaka Nanayakkara, along with the secretary of Kodagoda agricultural association Thilak Amaradiwakara had put forward the said FR petition.

Former Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, former Plantation Minister Ramesh Pathirana, former Agriculture Secretary Prof. Udith Jayasinghe, MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Attorney General and four others have been named as its respondents.

The petitioners allege that Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector suffered a severe setback due to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s move to ban the import of chemical fertilizer.

The President barred the import of chemical fertilizer without proper planning and without seeking the experts’ advice or conducting proper studies, the petitioners said further.

They pointed out that, due to this arbitrary decision, the crop yields dropped substantially, the petitioners said further, adding that and the livelihoods of the farmers were severely affected as a result.

The petitioners also quoted a statement delivered by the President on April 18, in which he admitted that the move to ban the import of chemical fertilizers was a mistake on his part.