Times Online WEDNESDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2011
The Army has taken over control at the Dambulla Economic centre - a day after police and farmers clashed during a protest agaisnt the law on compulsory use of plastic crates to transport vegetables.
In Colombo at the Manning market the army moved into the market a shortwhile back and ordered all vendors inside the market to move out. Almost all of the vendors have refrained from opening their stalls today with hardly any vegetables coming from the outstations.
More than 300 army personnel have been deployed in the Dambulla Economic Centre, despite only a few lorries turning up with vegetables. Most shops remains closed as the usual number of lorries failed to turn up.
"Few lorries which have brought in small quantities of vegetables are seen parked outside. But the overall situation is that there is a sharp drop vegetables coming to the market', the sundaytimesonline correspondent said..
In Colombo at the Manning market the army moved into the market a shortwhile back and ordered all vendors inside the market to move out. Almost all of the vendors have refrained from opening their stalls today with hardly any vegetables coming from the outstations.
Despite claims by Consumer Affairs Minister Jhonston Fernando that he will not revise the rule, few other ministers in the government were of the opinion that they should reconsider the implementation of the regulation.
Meanwhile vegetable prices were increasing steadily with the shortage of vegetables in the market.
Our Nuwara Eliya correspondent Shelton Hettiaracchchi said that farmers in the area were also agaisnt the new regulation and the supply to the market had dropped by about 50 per cent.
Picture above captures a deserted Dambulla Economic Centre