Food crisis likely to affect around four to five million people - PM

• A committee headed by Parliamentarian Nimal Lansa to be appointed to look into mitigation efforts of food crisis

By Yohan Perera   

While highlighting that around four to five million people will be directly affected by the food crisis, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said all MPs will be asked to take charge of food security programmes in 225 divisions.   

Speaking during a meeting of the Committee on Food Security at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday, the Prime Minister said that although the food crisis could directly affect four to five million Sri Lankans in the future, steps would be taken to control it.    

The Prime Minister instructed the officials to pay more attention to the children and the adults in particular.  
He directed the appointment of a committee headed by Parliamentarian Nimal Lansa to look into the mitigation efforts of the food crisis. The Prime Minister emphasized that he wanted the plan prepared by this committee within two weeks.  
The Prime Minister further said that 225 divisions should be handed over to the Members of Parliament and the rest to the top officials including the Secretaries to the Ministries and the Private Sector to provide leadership to develop and reach the targets of 336 Divisional Secretariats in the country under the Food Security Programme. It was proposed to recruit graduates from the Divisional Secretariats for this purpose.  

Mr. Wickremesinghe instructed the officials to give priority to providing food, gas and fuel to the fishing community.  

Special emphasis was placed on food security, especially for children’s homes, nursing homes and homes for persons with disabilities.  

The Prime Minister also stressed the need for a medium and long term plan for a modern agricultural system that would create a regionally competitive market and called for it to be formulated urgently.