Price of essential food items soars in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2008, 00:18 GMT]
Price of rice, wheat flour, and sugar in Jaffna peninsula rose as stocks in government stores dwindled, and residents are forced to by the provisions at exorbitant prices from private traders, civil society sources in Jaffna said. A ship bound for Jaffna peninsula with essential food items had to return to Colombo without unloading due to mechanical failure, and the uncertainty of shipments contributed to spiraling up of prices, sources added.

A kilogram of rice sold at Rs.81 earlier is now sold at 90 rupees while the price of rice per kilogram has risen from Rs.65 to between Rs.100 and Rs.140 rupees.

The situation is feared to worsen as Jaffna Secretariat has restricted the supply of essential food items to co-operative retail stores which sell them at controlled prices.

A family of more than five members was given only a 1.5 kilo of sugar last week in the co-operatives as directed by the Jaffna Secretariat.

Parboiled rice, the main food item of Jaffna peninsula residents, is not in stock in the government stores, according to information to co-operatives from the Jaffna Secretariat.

This critical situation has forced the public in Jaffna peninsula to pay inflated prices in the private market.

The Jaffna Secretariat which has to supply essential food items as relief food to public through co-operatives, is forced to buy the items from private traders.