Jaffna co-operatives face rice ration shortage

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2004, 12:55 GMT]
Although Jaffna district secretariat Friday issued instruction to all multi-purpose co-operative societies in the Jaffna district to supply free dry ration due for the month of April for about one hundred nineteen thousand families, co-operative societies said that they cannot carry out the instruction because of short supply of rice and increased prices, co-operative sources said.

Dry rations are normally supplied to internally displaced, to those who lost employment and properties due to war, and to those deprived of their cultivation because of their lands fall within the high security zones.

Recipients also have expressed fear that they would receive less amount of rice, sugar and other essential items as the prices of such goods have gone up several fold and Sri Lanka Government also has not increased the amount allocated for relief, society sources said.

Dry ration relief amount per person was fixed in the year 1981, twenty-three years ago. Welfare associations in the peninsula have been agitating for an increase in the amount taking into consideration the current price of rice, sugar and other essential items, sources said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka government has announced that dry ration relief scheme will be stopped and instead assistance will be provided under the Poverty Alleviation Scheme (Samurdhi) from next year.

Leading members of Jaffna civil groups have accused government officials in Jaffna for their lethargic attitude for not taking prompt steps to supply dry ration relief every month to IDP families in the Jaffna district.