The Dambulla Free Farmers Association denied that any of its members had participated in the anti-crate protest.
Issuing a statement to the media, the Association said its members were not against the use of plastic crates to transport vegetables and fruits. It totally rejected the claims published by some sections of the media that the Dambulla farmers participated in the protest demonstrations staged in Dambulla demanding the implementation of regulations making vegetable and fruit transportation in crates compulsory be stopped.
The farmers say that the protest agitation was spearheaded by a coterie of vegetable dealers. They, with their goons, even threatened the farmers to join their protests.
The dealers did not allow the farmers to transport their products in crates, even if the farmers wanted to adhere to the procedure laid down by the government. Even the police were maintaining a questionable silence due to the pressure of a powerful politician in Dambulla, it said.
The staement emphatically said that that farmers, specially members of the Dambulla Free Famers Association, did not participate or indirectly helped organise the anti-crate demo held by Dambulla vegetable dealers and their cohorts.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=41351
No comments:
Post a Comment