SPOTLIGHT

• Rs. 89 million rice shipment to the north Dr. JJ involved in an unpalatable deal By Frederica Jansz Certain government ministries and other apex bodies within the short space of 11 months since taking to office last year, are fast earning a reputation of passing the buck — shirking responsibility — when confronted with a controversial issue.

A clear example is the recent case where 3,000 metric tons of poor quality par boiled rice has been shipped for destitute people in the Jaffna peninsula. Not only is 10 metric tons of this rice not fit for human consumption, another 112 metric tons arrived in Jaffna strewn on the decks of the vessel ‘Mercs Kumari’ and  had to be swept into bags with the intention of distributing the filthy rice to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Jaffna. 

If the new Government Agent for Jaffna, Selliah Pathmanathan had chosen to close his eyes to this despicable affair, nearly 100,000 people constituting Jaffna’s poorest of the poor would have been fed rice that is not fit for human consumption.

In fact, since The Sunday Leader broke this story last week, Advisor to the Prime Minister, K. H. J. Wijedasa summoned an emergency meeting to ascertain what exactly had gone wrong. Wijedasa by this time also had a report on the matter from the Jaffna GA who had sent samples of the rice to Colombo. One sample, he said, proved the rice is rotten and not fit for human consumption, while the other samples showed the rice was wet as well as mixed with other grains. 

The rice, as reported in our story last week had been supplied by the state owned Co-op Fed (Cooperative Federation Society), which is an apex body of the Cooperatives Ministry.

Amazingly, officials from the Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Ministry though informed by the captain of the vessel ‘Mercs Kumari’ before it left Colombo that the rice in question was packed in inferior quality jute bags and that they could break during the voyage, did nothing to remedy the situation. The captain had also complained that some of the rice was giving off a bad odour. This however, did not prevent officers from the Rehabilitation Ministry from allowing the consignment to leave for Jaffna.

Instead, they suspended loading for two days, took samples of the rice and sent it to the CISIR for testing and summoned officers from Co-op Fed who apparently gave an assurance the rice would be packed better the next time around. This vague promise, officials from the Rehabilitation Ministry accepted — and thus allowed the ship to depart for Jaffna with its rotten cargo.

General Manager, Co-op Fed, D. S. K. Pathirana denies that the rice is not fit for human consumption, Pathirana argues that it is this same quality of rice that Co-op Fed has been sending to Jaffna over the last four years and it has never been challenged. “Why now?” he asks. Admitting that 10 metric tons of rice was not fit for human consumption because “it had got wet during shipment,” Pathirana however charged that this unpolished variety of red rice known as ‘Nadu’ “is what the people in Jaffna want to eat.”

Jaffna GA Pathmanathan reiterated that he cannot comment on why this rice had been accepted over the last four years since he assumed duties as GA for Jaffna only recently. He however noted that his officers who detected the rotten rice this time have been in service at the Jaffna kachcheri over the last 10 years.

That the quality of such rice has violated tender specifications, Pathirana asserted is matter for the Standing Cabinet Appointed Tender Board (SCATB) on food procurement to have considered. He argued that samples of this rice is checked in Colombo before it leaves for Jaffna, and if officials from the Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Ministry did not detect anything wrong, “then it is not our fault,” he said, absolving himself and Co-op Fed from any blame. Co-op Fed meanwhile, is being paid by the government some Rs. 89 million for this particular consignment of rice at the rate of Rs. 29.80 per kilo.

K. H. J. Wijedasa meanwhile, reiterated that Co-op Fed will not be paid their dues until 3,000 tons of polished rice according to tender specifications is sent once more to Jaffna for the IDPs.

Pathirana is not alone in trying to pass the buck. Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Minister Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena spent all of last week telephoning relevant officials including Wijedasa, to complain that he has been unfairly held accountable by The Sunday Leader for this scam. Dr. Jayawardena is quick to pass the blame elsewhere naming the SCATB Chaired by Sumanasiri Hulugalle who is also Secretary, Cooperative Development Ministry as being responsible for awarding this tender to Co-op Fed. 

While this indeed is the case, the fact of the matter is that Dr. Jayawardena as minister is responsible for the refugees in Jaffna and in ensuring food fit for human consumption is sent to these people, who are by a cruel twist of fate — destitute. That Dr. Jayawardena cannot, or will not, accept responsibility for a despicable scam perpetrated under his very nose — proves his inadequacy to stand tall in the face of grave injustice.

After all, if none of his own ministry officials had the integrity or moral responsibility to stop this consignment from leaving Colombo, even after having been informed that some of the contents were rotten, prove they are not fit to hold the posts they do in the Rehabilitation Ministry. 

Be that as it may, Dr. Jayawardena demanded his Ministry Secretary, A. Jeyaratnam and General Manager, Co-op Fed, D. S. K. Pathirana to write to The Sunday Leader editor,  asserting that he, (Dr. Jayawardena) had absolutely no connection in this matter.

We can only hope that Dr. Jayawardena will act as promptly and tender an apology to the people of Jaffna and in particular the IDPs for what has transpired as a result of disgraceful bungling by officials at his ministry.

That a bunch of government officials from the south have connived to send to Jaffna rice not fit for the human palate is clear. Wijedasa asserted that while tender specifications demanded the rice to be sent to the north must be 50% polished, this particular consignment, it was revealed, had only 8% polished.

“Co-op Fed has definitely blundered — I guess they thought they could get away with it,” Wijedasa said appearing to be a loner as far as admitting the truth is concerned.

What cannot be explained is how Co-op Fed has sent this same quality rice on 13 previous occasions to Jaffna and never been challenged. Even Wijedasa cannot explain how this could have happened. 

Wijedasa meanwhile said he has insisted that tender specifications be followed in future and that Co-op Fed honour their contractual agreement fully. 

On Wednesday, October 30, Wijedasa appointed a high powered board chaired by his own consultant S. B. Rajapakse together with eight others including representatives from Co-op Fed and former food commissioner and present consultant on food procurement, Liyanaratchchi to travel to Jaffna on Friday and determine how much of the 3,000 tons of par boiled red rice is bad. 

Meanwhile, the other two members on the specially appointed SCATB for food procurement are Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, S. B. Divaratne and Secretary, Irrigation and Water Management, Sandasiri Wickremaratchchi.

No tender procedure was followed when the SCATB decided to award the contract for sending rice to refugees in the north to Co-op Fed. The SCATB apparently has the discretion to make such decisions depending on special cases.

In August this year, Rehabilitation Ministry Secretary, A. Jeyaratnam wrote to Sumanasiri Hulugalle querying on what basis Co-op Fed had been chosen without following tender procedure to supply rice to the north and why such a decision had been made violating government tender procedure. 

Hulugalle had replied, explaining Co-op Fed is an apex body of the Cooperative Ministry and that since the organisation had already been supplying rice to the north over a period of years, the SCATB has decided to procure the necessary quantities from them.

Nobody, including Co-op Fed, is in a position to explain why unpolished rice was being sent to the north instead of the polished variety which is what the original tender specifications demanded.

“I myself cannot understand why this was being done,” Wijedasa reiterated, when questioned. Hulugalle meanwhile could not be contacted for comment.

In an attempt at damage control, Co-op Fed have now promised to segregate the rice that is not fit for consumption and polish the balance quantity (at their own cost) before handing it out to the people of Jaffna. 

Wijedasa has also ordered the survey board he specifically appointed, to test the quality of this rice by cooking some of it in Jaffna and make certain it is palatable before allowing it to be distributed to the internally displaced persons.