• Says there will be a severe scarcity of food soon
• Government does not have enough funds to import essential items

By Yohan Perera

 Sri Lanka will experience an era of ‘Haal polu’, Parippu polu (special checkpoints to apprehend illegal transportation of essential items) soon, an SJB MP warned yesterday.

 SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka told a press conference that Sri Lanka will be pushed into an era of Haal Polu, Parripu Polu soon as there will be a severe scarcity of food.  Farmers have not been able to produce their own organic fertilizer as the government has requested as the next cultivation season will begin in early September this year. Sri Lanka needs 20 million tons of organic fertilizer for the whole cultivating season. 

 The country does not have such an amount of organic fertilizer at the moment. Therefore, there would be a scarcity of rice as most of the farmers will cultivate only on half an acre as they usually do for their personal use.
 Production of other crops will also go down. This will result in a scarcity of food. The government does not have enough funds to import essential items,” the MP said.

 Also, he alleged that a sum of $500 million has been given to SriLankan Airlines to make a payment to the Airbus Company for some new aircraft. “Some more funds are wasted to construct a jogging track at Ralapanawa. This is not a time to waste funds in such a manner,” he added.

• A sum of $500 million has been given to SriLankan Airlines to make a payment to the Airbus Company for some new aircraft. “Some more funds are wasted to construct a jogging track at Ralapanawa