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The government yesterday declared the paddy sector as an ‘essential service’ and will deploy the armed forces to ensure the ‘equitable distribution of rice at fair prices.’

The move follows reports reaching the special Presidential Task Force that traders have begun hoarding rice stocks. Many instances of rice being sold at exorbitant prices have also come to light.

The matter figured at a meeting of the 40-member Task Force headed by Presidential Special envoy Basil Rajapaksa.

Task Force sources said the armed forces would be empowered to check on hoarded stocks and take charge for distribution at official prices.

The same sources said that major rice dealers had already been warned of the tough measures the government would take against them for hoarding or selling at exorbitant prices.

Another measure that the Task Force will adopt is to ask Grama Niladharis to monitor prices at which rice in particular is being sold by vendors who bring stocks in lorries. This is a prelude to direct the Police to arrest such vendors, the sources said.

Sick senior citizens made to suffer in pharmacy queues

It was a scene that would have melted any kind heart.

Outside a pharmacy, the queue ran for almost a hundred metres with each customer standing a cool three to four feet away from the other.

Like the railways in Sri Lanka, the queue moved slowly. Caught up in the middle was an octogenarian. He had waited till his pension arrived. It has been delivered to him at home this time.

He carried with him a plastic chair. As he stepped forward, he sat down and waited. It took at least eight to ten minutes before he could move since that was the average time taken for a customer.

It would have been wiser for the authorities to have given priority to those in poor health and aged.

In a pharmacy outside, an elderly man who worked his way to the entrance was beaten up by four youth. He was accused of breaking the queue. A female staffer refused to serve the four. They went to the owner of the pharmacy, threatened him and got what they wanted.

Remarks on autocratic rule trigger top-level war of words

A top government leader was locked in a heated telephone conversation with the leader of a new political grouping this week.

It came after the latter had told his supporters that the leader was a dictator and the country would soon be under autocratic rule.

“I know there are serious allegations against you. I have so far not asked the Police to pursue investigations or asked for advice from the Attorney General in this regard,” the leader exhorted.

It did not end there. The leader recalled a conversation he had with the political grouping leader soon after the end of presidential election last year. “Then, you cried on the telephone and told me you will quit politics. Now, don’t come crying to me again after making wild allegations,” he exhorted.

Covid surveillance on former MP at party leaders’ meeting

It transpired at a party leaders’ meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

A former MP from a minority party took part in the discussion but was unaware that the authorities were keeping a close eye on him. They kept a good distance even during conversations.

It turned out that the politician has been closely associating with an Eastern Province person who was identified as Covid-19 positive.

A check on the politician’s movements is now being carried out.

WhatsApp slaps fresh curbs on message forwarding

Security requirements necessitated by the spread of Covid-19 have prompted WhatsApp to prevent the spread of what it calls misinformation.

New limits have been placed by the app on forwarding messages that have been classified as “highly forwarded” or sent to more than five or more people. Such messages can now be forwarded only to one person.

WhatsApp said, “The move is designed to reduce the speed with which information moves” putting “truth and fiction on a more even footing.”

Last year, WhatsApp limited the number of people one can forward a single message to five. However, nothing prevents one from forwarding the same message over and over again to different people.

Back to work under strict guidelines

Notwithstanding the ongoing countrywide curfew, the Government is now working on a proposal to allow people to engage in work.

This includes the agricultural and industrial sector but would be subjected to strict guidelines.

SLPP ex-MPs also wanted meeting with PM

Former MPs, now in the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, sought a meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. This was on the grounds that he had met those in opposition political parties.

The request was granted and most of them met last Wednesday and received a briefing on the working of essential services and food distribution.

Police action hampers tea-export bid

A leading tea export firm sent a container to bring back to Colombo a load of quality tea from Hatton for it to package and ship the stock. But the unexpected happened.

Police in the area arrested the driver and crew and sent them immediately for quarantine. It took four days for the management to get them released and two more days to get their stocks to Colombo.

VIP security officials armed with corona questions

Security details of top government leaders have been given a briefing on procedures they would have to follow when there are visitors to meet those whom they are protecting.

They have been asked to question them politely whether the visitor came on his own or in a car. If it was in a car, they have been advised to ask whether it was driven by the visitor or a driver. The details are being recorded by the personal security detail.

The idea behind the exercise is for easy tracking in the event the visitor turns out is suspected of carrying the coronavirus.

SJB claims 80-12 victory over UNP

Samagi Jana Balavegaya General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara waxed eloquent with Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) leaders after a meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He boasted that the SJP had 80 former parliamentarians as against 12 held by the United National Party (UNP).