National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa says the government is conspiring to deliberately drive the Pelwatte and Sevanagala sugar companies into financial crisis in order to sell them to an Indian company.
Addressing the media in Colombo on Thursday, Weerawansa claimed that steps were being taken to delay the resumption of operations at the two state-owned sugar factories, which are expected to reopen by February next year after ongoing renovations.
He charged that the authorities had failed to call for tenders to procure new machinery, compounding the companies’ financial woes following two major fires that caused a combined loss of Rs. 641.81 million.
Weerawansa also accused Pelwatte Sugar Chairperson Sandamali Chandrasekara of obstructing the harvesting and grinding of partially burnt sugarcane within the critical 72-hour window after the fires, further worsening losses.
The NFF leader alleged that officials who evaluated the damages were penalized, while a JVP-affiliated trade union leader had been paid over Rs. 100,000 per month in overtime to silence union dissent.
Declaring that his party would fight to protect Pelwatte and Sevanagala, Weerawansa vowed that the NFF would not allow what he described as a deliberate sellout of national assets to foreign interests.
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