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Updated May 19th, 2022 at 18:32 IST

Sri Lanka: PM Wickremesinghe avers country has enough stock of fuel to last till mid-June

Sri Lankan Prime Minister informed the country's parliamentarians that the island nation has secured enough diesel and petrol supplies to last until mid-June.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
Sri Lanka
Image: AP/Pixabay | Image:self
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Amid the worsening economic crisis in the country, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the country's parliamentarians that the island nation has secured enough diesel and petrol supplies to last until mid-June. The recently appointed Prime Minister made the remarks during the ongoing first session of the parliament on Thursday. This comes a day after the country's Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that the crisis-stricken country is on the verge of running out of petrol reserves and has "no money" to replenish its supplies. 

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister further stated that increased fuel supplies will help to lessen long lines at gas stations, but that "the queues for fuel will not fully disperse."  PM Wickremesinghe also informed the House regarding the delay in the delivery of natural gas by Litro, the country's leading gas supplier. He claimed to have demanded an immediate explanation from the Chairman and has asked the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises to summon Litro Gas personnel for an explanation.

Security forces have been directed to follow conventional protocols: PM 

"Despite assurance being provided by Litro Gas that gas would be unloaded yesterday via lorries, it has not happened. I have instructed the Chairman to provide an immediate explanation. I have also requested that COPE summons Litro officials as well," the Prime Minister wrote in on Twitter. During his first address to the nation on May 16, he had revealed that the country only has petrol stock for "a single day." Furthermore, PM Wickremesinghe said that the alleged orders to shoot aggressive protestors on sight were not officially communicated to security officers during the upheaval. All security forces have been directed to follow conventional protocols, he remarked. 

Sri Lankan crisis

It is pertinent to mention here that the island nation is currently facing a foreign exchange deficit, which has resulted in food, fuel, power, and gas shortages, and has sought economic assistance from friendly countries. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities have also decided to stop providing fuel from the Narahenpita Police Transport Division to some selected vehicles. Following public outrage that fuel was being distributed at subsidised rates, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation announced, on Thursday, that it will no longer supply petrol to parliamentarians from the Narahenpita Police Transport Division's filling station.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP/Pixabay

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Published May 19th, 2022 at 18:32 IST

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