Around 700,000 kilograms (kg) of paddy stocks, worth around Rs. 65-70 million, have gone missing from two Government-owned paddy stores in Kurunegala, Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) Chairman Neil De Alwis said.
Furthermore, he revealed that two officers had been interdicted in connection with the incident.
Last week, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera had called for an immediate report pertaining to the alleged incident of paddy stocks going missing from five Government paddy stores in the Kurunegala District. Amaraweera had directed the PMB to furnish the relevant report within three days, following multiple complaints made by the employees of the PMB in this regard. However, they had reportedly informed the minister that officials from the head office of the PMB as well as some officials of the regional offices were involved in the disappearance of the relevant paddy stocks. Earlier, the minister also asserted that a comprehensive inquiry will be carried out into the matter through the Police and the Criminal Investigations Department.