The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has looked into maintaining a special rice reserve of 8,000 metric tons in accordance with the Colombo declaration of the SAARC Organization and the 16th Summit meeting.

The committee also probed the rice reserves of 100,000 metric tons not being maintained in the warehouses owned by the Food Commissioners Department of Sri Lanka all over the island in accordance with the cabinet decision dated 27/8/2008.

The COPA members inquired about the failure to maintain the aforesaid reserves despite the fact that 06 warehouses numbered 1, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13 in Veyangoda warehouse complex were modified in a scientific and natural manner. 292 million rupees have been spent from 2012 to 2019 to modify these warehouses.

Discussions in this regard took place at the COPA which met on Thursday (Oct. 20) under the chairmanship of MP Kabir Hashim.

The meeting was called for by the Food Commissioners Department of Sri Lanka to examine the audit report on the maintenance of rice reserves and the performance of storage utilization.

The officials mentioned that their department requested for adequate provision from the treasury, but due to non-receipt, it was not possible to maintain the above-mentioned reserves. It was also revealed that on an average, to maintain 100,000 metric tons of rice, about Rs. 22 billion per year is required.

Officials stated that even though a storage complex capable of storing 250,000 metric tons has been scientifically modified, it has not been able to store the number of reserves equal to its maximum capacity so far and that the World Food Programme and rice aid received from other countries have already started to be stored.

The committee also informed the Secretary to the Ministry to conduct proper research on the existing government food warehouse complexes across the country and collect data and submit a report containing specific information about the ownership of the warehouses within a month.

Irregularities in giving the warehouse complexes owned by the Food Commissioner Department to other government or private institutions on rental basis and monthly rent collection issues were discussed at the COPA. The committee informed that with the support of the Attorney General’s Department, the relevant agreements should be prepared as necessary.