The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that the Government should provide more concessions for small-scale tea estate owners without falling prey to the dominance of large-scale tea companies.

Addressing the public at a function held yesterday (28), he claimed that a future SJB Government would provide a separate fertiliser subsidy for small-scale tea plantation owners and also mentioned that his Government would take the necessary steps to improve the quality of life of the next generation of upcountry plantation worker families. Moreover, he stated that compared to the large-scale plantation companies under the ownership of both the public and private sectors, small-scale tea estate owners contribute more to Sri Lanka’s tea industry and export sector. Premadasa said that with the aim of empowering the thousands of unemployed youth in the community, it is the need of the hour to give them lands that have been left uncultivated and to establish a programme so that they get some source of income, which will also help in improving the expected social mobility. However, he mentioned that the Government should not be a slave to large-scale companies but should work for the betterment of these groups.

Meanwhile, it was reported that plantation companies have suggested raising the take home pay of estate workers by 33% using a productivity model or by 22% using an attendance based approach.

Several attempts made to contact the Senior Advisor to the President, Parliamentarian Vadivel Suresh proved futile.