Goods unfit for consumption forced on Jaffna residents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 05:25 GMT]
Commissioner of Essential Services Department and certain Ministries force consumer goods of low quality and unsuitable for human consumption on families entirely dependent on relief supplies in Jaffna peninsula, Jaffna Secretariat sources said. Authorities in Colombo routinely overlook the list of requirements sent to the authorities in Colombo, and ship unwanted items unfit for local consumption, sources added.

More than 100,000 families depend entirely on relief supplies from the government in Jaffna peninsula.

The officials involved in this corruption and malpractice are said to be making millions of rupees, the sources said.

The ministry in charge of Nation Building had recently shipped a consignment of tea unfit for consumption, and the Jaffna Secretariat pointed this to the ministry, officials in Colombo had instructed Jaffna government officials to destroy the tea.

Though repeated requests had been made to the related authorities in Colombo so far no action had been taken, concerned officials in the Secretariat said.