(COLOMBO) – Free rice packets distributed among underprivileged school children and found unsuitable for consumption was provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) and not by the Government, Sri Lanka’s Education Minister Susil Premajayantha told the Parliament on Thursday.
“Those packets of rice were provided additionally by the WFP to support the Government’s school food program”, Premajayantha said.
The Government ensures that food distributed with State funds is suitable for children’s consumption. Even after stocks of rice are distributed to Provincial Education Centres through the Director General of Health Services, they are advised to carry out regular quality checks before distribution, he added.
The Government allocated Rs. 110 for each child, with additional funds coming from various sources. As a result, the Government-funded stocks of rice should not be mixed with those provided by the WFP, Minister Premajayantha added.
