The movement’s president Ranjith Withanage refers in a statement to a remark made by Karunanayake at a meeting in Colombo on May 13.

The minister said on the occasion the government was providing essential commodities at low prices and claimed the price of a kilo of dhal was in the range of Rs. 160 – Rs. 190.

The gazette extraordinary issued on 24 November 2015 states the maximum retail price of a kilo of dhal is Rs. 169.

However, the current selling price in the market is Rs. 220.

Withanage notes in the statement that spurious traders could exploit the minister’s remark to their advantage.

Both the minister and the Consumer Affairs Authority should make a clear declaration on this matter, he adds.

Given below is the gazette extraordinary in question: