A rice supplier has been fined Rs. 1 million by the Polonnaruwa Magistrate’s Court after being found guilty of selling Red Nadu rice above the government’s maximum retail price, the Consumer Affairs Authority said.
The CAA instituted legal action after finding the supplier selling Red Nadu at Rs. 225 per kilogram, against the approved maximum of Rs. 220 per kilogram, a ceiling introduced in 2022.
The case was heard before the Polonnaruwa Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, where the court convicted the supplier and imposed the fine, the Daily Mirror reported.
Continued enforcement on rice pricing
The case is the latest in a sustained CAA campaign against retailers and suppliers exceeding controlled rice prices. Courts have imposed similar penalties through the year, including fines on traders in Galle and a Rs. 500,000 penalty on a Colombo 12 trader over Keeri Samba.
Rice pricing has remained politically sensitive, with the maximum retail prices set in 2022 still in force for several varieties despite repeated pressure from millers and traders for revision.
Sources: Daily Mirror.
