News

Several weeks needed to solve gas shortage

Published

4 years ago

2022/01/7

It would take several weeks to sort out the cooking gas shortage, Litro Gas Chairman, Thushara Jayasinghe told the media yesterday.

Jayasinghe said that they were currently issuing about 90,000 gas cylinders to the market a day.

“Earlier, we issued about 60,000 cylinders a day. The number has been increased by 33% to deal with the current situation. We had to recall cylinders and to adhere to a new standardisation process. So, there are some limitatations affecting our output.”

The Litro Chairman said the company had adequate stocks of gas. A ship with 3,700 tonnes of gas was anchored off the seas of Keralawalapitiya. Once testing was completed that could be unloaded and issued to the market, he said.

Jayasinghe said that in the past, only about 300 gas valves needed to be replaced daily. However, that number was close to 3000 now, he said. The company was now working around the clock to fill and distribute gas cylinders, he said,

Around 900 cooking gas explosions have been recorded in Sri Lanka since October 2021.

Chairman of Laugfs Gas W. K. H. Wegapitiya said that his company found it difficult to obtain the required amounts of gas as banks were reluctant to issue letters of credit.

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News

Cabinet nod to accept Japanese government grant of 08 used low floorboard buses

Published

1 hour ago

2026/03/4

Priyan

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to accept 08 used low floorboard buses offered as a grant by the Government of Japan.

News

Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.

Published

1 hour ago

2026/03/4

Priyan

While approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 18.08.2025 to pay the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Maha season 2025/26, the programme is planned to be continued for the Yala season 2026 as well.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to pay a financial subsidy of Rupees 25,000/- per hectare and for a maximum of 02 hectares per farmer for paddy cultivation and to pay Rupees 15,000/- per hectare for field crops cultivated in paddy lands[maximum of 02 hectares per farmer]

News

Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals

Published

1 hour ago

2026/03/4

Priyan

The rural agricultural livelihood and food security have been severely impacted due to the damage caused by wild animals such as elephants, wild boars, monkeys, toque macaque, squirrels, and peacocks roaming around human habitats and cultivated lands.

Animal-human conflicts and property destruction have mostly been reported around these areas, and serious social and economic issues have also arisen.

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation has prepared a comprehensive program based on the opinions of all stakeholders, including the public, university community, farmers’ organizations, environmentalists, non-governmental organizations which work for environmental issues, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, and other relevant organizations.

Taking into consideration the report submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a ministerial committee with the participation of other relevant ministers, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, to submit appropriate recommendations on how the aforementioned program should be implemented by further reviewing the proposals included in the said program and incorporating new proposals.