Anuradhapura retail rice traders may give up business

Says unfairly raided by CAA officials

By Athula Bandara  

Retail rice traders in Anuradhapura have decided to keep away from rice trade from next week alleging that their business places are being unfairly raided by the officials of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) for selling rice at a mere Rs.4 or Rs.5 profit per kilo.   

They blamed the major mill owners for selling rice to them at prices above the prices specified by the government due to which they are being penalised.   

According to the gazette notification issued by the CAA on May 21, this year the maximum retail price of Nadu rice must be Rs.96 a kilo and Samba rice Rs. 98 a kilo. Keeri samba has been priced at Rs. 120 a kilo. However, the retail traders accuse that the mill owners sell them Nadu rice at Rs. 101 forcing them to sell it to the consumers at a price of Rs.105.   

They alleged that Samba rice is being sold to them at Rs. 110 and Keeri Samba at Rs. 128. Accordingly, they sell these two varieties of rice to consumers at Rs. 112 and Rs. 132 respectively.