Govt already released lands for private company in Indian fertilizer scandal - SM

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Minister of Lands S.M. Chandrasena said a considerable amount of lands in Mihintale were given to the company that is said to be involved in the importation of liquid nano nitrogen fertilizer from India.

"As the lands minister, I will provide even 100 acres for an organic fertilizer project to promote organic farming," he told reporters on Monday (25).

The United Farmers Trust Limited is making a request to manufacture nano nitrogen in Sri Lanka, said the Minister.

A simmering controversy erupted on Friday (22) when JVP MP Vijitha Herath gave parliament details of a bank account opened a week ago, and used to transfer funds to purchase the nano-fertilizer stock from India.

The scandal revolves around approximately US$ 1.2 Million being transferred to the private bank account of two individuals Mohan Perera & G. M. Weerasinghe of ‘United Farmers Trust Limited’ for the acquisition of nano-fertilizer from India.

JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath in an explosive revelation to Parliament said that Sri Lanka had deposited $ 1.275 Mn to an account of a private company, namely ‘United Farmers Trust Limited’, as payment for the recently imported Nano-Nitrogen Fertilizer from India.

He went on to note that the ‘United Farmers Trust Limited’ had paid $ 300,000 to IFFCO and another $ 50,000 as freight charges, another $ 37,000 as payments.

“Only a fraction of the total payment was made,” he alleged in Parliament and questioned what happened to the rest of the money.

On a separate note, in response to farmers' protests where effigies of ministers are set on fire, the Minister said if the burning of effigies of Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage as others make people happy, he does not mind if people set fire to effigies of him. People were burnt with tires in 1988 and 1989.