Flour price hike hits estate sector - R. K. Suresh

The up-country Tamil politicians, criticised the 'Mahinda Chindana' and motivated the estate workers to vote for the United National party in the last Presidential election.

But the Ceylon Workers Alliance, and the Ceylon Estate Staff Association, which function under the direct control of the General Secretary of the CWA and the Presidential Advisor S. Sathaasivam amidst acts of threat and intimidation worked tirelessly for the resounding victory of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said R. K. Suresh, the General Secretary of the Ceylon Estate Staff Association. He was addressing a meeting at Talawakelle on last Sunday.

He also said that during the Presidential Election campaign the able and dynamic President promised that the plantation workers, who live with abject poverty will be issued with wheat flour at a subsidised price under the Mahinda Chandana the plantation workers who were of the opinion that their burden will be eased are finding it very difficult to cope with the present high cost of living. Due to the price increase of wheat flour by Rs. 46 the workers suffer in the silence.

The only stable food for the estate workers is wheat flour. The so-called Tamil politicians in the hill country, who criticised the development activities of the present Government, during the Presidential election now captured the Ministry portfolio under the Mahinda Rajapaksa's

Cabinet and feast their nest, but not taking any keen interest to elevate the living condition of the plantation workers, who toil under scorching sun and torrential rain for the accumulation of valuable foreign exchange.

Now the cost of living keeps on mounting day by day and the masses of this country; especially the estate workers, who earn meagre daily wages face immense difficulties to eke out their living the politicians representing the plantation workers, who crossed over to the present Government to feast in their nests thus betraying the estate workers.

The plantation workers are neglected and a backward lot in every aspect and the present Government should take swift action to elevate the living standards of the plantation workers and the staff, if not in future it would be a difficult task to obtain the votes of the workers and estate staff in the plantation sector", he concluded.