A powerful political storm has erupted as new allegations claim a multi million rupee agricultural innovation program was used to benefit political families rather than genuine entrepreneurs.
A program hosted by former Provincial Council Minister Waruna Rajapaksa challenges Minister Samantha Vidyarathna’s revelation in Parliament that millions allocated for agricultural innovation under the Ministry of Industries had allegedly been taken by relatives of ministers. Vidyarathna states that the project, which the World Bank recognized as one of the best agricultural innovation programs in Sri Lanka, had been quietly accessed by politically connected individuals through loans or grants worth millions.
The initiative was originally designed to support entrepreneurs in agriculture who needed capital to introduce modern technology such as greenhouses, hydroponics and vertical farming. The system operated in a way where an entrepreneur investing one crore rupees would receive another crore as a government financed non repayable grant after submitting a project proposal.
According to the revelations made by Samantha Vidyarathna, Bandula of Suwanda Enterprises, the brother of Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, had allegedly received 481 lakh rupees. Waruna Rajapaksa further revealed several additional names connected to influential families. He stated that Dr. Ashoka Ranwala’s wife, Suravirarachchige Indrani Ranwala, and his son, Ranwala Arachchike Thulitha Sihalindu Ranwala, were also on the list. Their registered address is mentioned as No. 28, Colombo Road, Biyagama. In addition, it is stated that Eranga Weeratne, a deputy minister in the present administration, had also obtained funds through the same program.
Based on Samantha Vidyarathna’s allegation, if Amaraweera’s brother received funds, it becomes questionable that Dr. Ranwala’s wife and son also received large sums through project submissions. Rajapaksa responded to these claims by criticizing Minister Vidyarathna’s statements and highlighted that in any beneficial project, there is always a possibility of thieves entering and exploiting loopholes. He argued that the priority should be to verify whether each person who received a loan or grant actually invested their own funds, developed the project as proposed and used the government money for its intended purpose.
Rajapaksa went on to state that although Ashoka Ranwala was a politician at the time, he was not incapable of managing a business. He emphasised that if the project report he submitted had no major technical faults, the government’s approval would have been reasonable. He insisted that before making accusations, the minister should conduct a proper investigation and establish clear evidence and only then take action. Rajapaksa stressed that accountability must be based on facts and not political rivalry. He added that transparency in loan distribution, project assessment and grant evaluation should be prioritised to protect public funds and restore public trust in agricultural innovation programs.
