Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said in Parliament yesterday (23) that a committee will focus on expediting the compensation to farmers in Matara district who suffered crop damage due to the Nilwala project.
The Agriculture Minister said this while replying to an oral question by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa regarding compensation to the farmers of the Matara district who suffered crop damage due to the salinity barrier constructed on the Nilwala River.
Premadasa said 12,000 acres cultivated by farmers have already been destroyed due to this barrier. Although Rs. 3 billion has been spent on this project, only Rs.1 billion will be spent to remove the barrier, he said.
Speaking on this occasion, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena also stated that the compensation for these farmers should be expedited.
He said that around 12,500 acres of crops have been damaged for nine seasons. Farmers have not received even a single cent. There have been several rounds of discussions in this regard and a meeting was held recently under the chairmanship of Irrigation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi.
Commenting further, the Agriculture Minister said compensation should be paid by the Irrigation Department and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB). But as per the instructions of the Speaker, the Agriculture Ministry will intervene to provide compensation.
The Minister said that the compensation will be given to the farmers through the Agricultural Insurance Board. But the NWSDB has announced that they will provide more compensation. Many discussions were held in this regard. The insured will get compensation anyway. But according to the instructions given by the Speaker today, compensation will be given to all the farmers in the future.
Irangika Range and Ishara Mudugamuwa