On the recommendation by the then Government , the Exercise Department gave permission in 2006 to only one producer of alcoholic spirit to use rice for manufacture of spirit. Recently , that producer has been allowed to use maize for the purpose. While replying to a reference made by MP Bandulla Gunawardena in Parliament, the Finance Ministry says, the present Government has not permitted the use of rice as raw material to manufacture spirit.
Srilanka Medias have reported that one of the National Intelligence Bureau reports disclosed, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakshe had ordered…