Food unsuitable for cooking dumped to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 August 2007, 11:51 GMT]
Food items unsuitable to public consumption are being shipped to Jaffna peninsula when shortage of essential food items like rice and milk powder grows more acute with each day, Traders' Federation and local NGO officials charged Sri Lanka Government authorities. Jaffna Government Agent (GA) has recently taken steps to return a consignment of 600 metric tons Channa Dhal back to Colombo Thursday.

Multi-purpose co-op branches and private shops were not able to sell the Channa dhal distributed to them as the locals do not use the type for cooking, said sources in GA's office.

Traders circles in Jaffna said key Government officials are trying to make large profit by selectively dumping such items to Jaffna.

Earlier complaints by traders to stop the practice have failed to improve the situation, traders in Jaffna said.