The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) blamed the Government for allegedly destroying farming lands under the guise of addressing the issues caused by the Nilwala salinity barrier.
Speaking in the Parliament during a Parliamentary debate on the said salinity barrier yesterday (6), SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa criticised the Government, stating: “The Government has no plan to uplift the country’s agriculture. Instead, they are making attempts to destroy the farming lands.”
He claimed that the Government’s plan to take over these lands for the cultivation of alternative crops, instead of paddy, would not be a beneficial solution for the farmers. Premadasa elaborated that this move would not address the core issues faced by farmers in these areas and would likely worsen their situation.
“Only the Parliamentarians representing the SJB raised their voices against this exploitation,” he remarked. He criticised other MPs for their silence, accusing them of allowing the Government to ruin the country’s agriculture.
Premadasa emphasised that it is the responsibility of any Government to develop and transform agriculture into a more efficient and technologically-advanced sector. “The Government is doing the opposite,” he alleged. He urged the Government to halt the takeover of farming lands and to reconsider the projects that undermine the status and livelihoods of farmers.
The Nilwala salinity barrier, constructed across the Nilwala River from Ussangoda to Pitaduwa, was designed to prevent sea water from mixing with the River water, thus causing a drinking water crisis.
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