Govt. moves in to resurrect damaged factories

by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi

[email protected]
 

The destruction to tea plantations during the recent floods has been assessed. Plantations in Ratnapura, Kalutara and Matara districts were heavily damaged by the recent flood.

Six factories Rukattana, Silverree, Kovalana, Devenigewatta, Lakmalee in the Kalutara district went under water.

Plantation industries Minister, D. M. Jayaratna has called on the relevant authorities to forward the flood damage reports to the Ministry as early as possible. Tea Commissioner, Sri Lanka Tea Board, Nimal Udugampola said that the loss or damage to the industry will be indemnified based on the criterion which was adopted for the 2003 flood damaged tea factories.

The damaged tea stocks will be indemnified, he said. A spokesman of the Plantation Ministry, said that the Ministry has decided to indemnify tea smallholders using the Tea Cess Fund as an urgent measure to overcome the present situation created by the heavy rains.

The floods badly affected 1,80,000 tea smallholders in Matara, Kalutara and Ratnapura districts.