Parliament kitchen filthy: Speaker

By Nimal Jayaratne   

Speaker Jagath Wickremaratne in a startling revelation said that the squalidness of the kitchen in the Parliament had not drawn the attention of the relevant officials or had not been inspected by the health authorities, at least by a PHIs for the last 40 years since its inception.   
Addressing the seminar organized by Thamankaduwa MOH office to uplift food safety in Polonnaruwa and Kaduruwela towns and to grade the catering establishments in the area said parliament was the law making establishment of the country and that it was a matter of serious concern that the victuals provided to its members.   
He said meals in Parliament Have been prepared in a squalid environment.   
“We carried out an inspection to find artificial flouring agents unfit for human consumption used in preparing meals. The kitchen is infested with rats, and cockroaches, the cooking utensils are broken and dented. We found dirt on their edges. The condition of the parliament kitchen has not been exposed to the media. Particular attention should have been paid to food prepared in the parliament canteen. For the first time since its very inception 40 years ago, I with the Battaramulla MOH and a team of PHIs carried out an inspection of the kitchen. Their report was forwarded to the standing committee comprising parliamentarians of the ruling party and the opposition as well and the Director of Catering, Secretary General, and several senior officials”  The Speaker further said.   
Polonnaruwa District  Parliamentarian Sunil Ratnasiri, Mayor of Polonnaruwa Lalith Thissa Kumara, District Secretary Sujantha Ekanayake, Thamankaduwa MOH Asela Navaratne and several senior officials were present at the occasion.