President Ranil Wickremesinghe has promised solutions to issues of Tamil dairy farmers in the eastern province after Tamil MPs raised the matter in parliament.
During sittings yesterday (06), ITAK’s Shanakiyan Rasamanickam displayed placards and shouted slogans, when he was joined by other Tamil MPs to highlight the demands by the dairy farmers on a protest for 23 days now.
Leader of the House Susil Premajayantha responded by announcing the president has ordered the irrigation ministry secretary to take appropriate action with regard to the matter.
Satisfied by the answer, the Tamil MPs ended their agitation.
Dairy farmers began a protest at Sittandy in Batticaloa on 15 September after the district secretary told them that she was unable to give them a solution.
Protestors allege that around 2,500 acres of grassland on which their cattle fed on had now been taken over by Sinhala farmers for Chena cultivation.
Rasamanickam told parliament that around 400,000 cattle have been affected by a shortage of feed.
Dairy farmer Seenithambi Nimalan said their requests to authorities on numerous occasions have gone unanswered.
More than 990 dairy farmers have to provide for families totaling 3,000, he said.
A shortage of feed and water has resulted in deaths among the cattle in recent times.
