News

Trade unionist alleges long queues due to restrictions on releasing of fuel

Published

4 years ago

2022/05/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

‘Sufficient stocks available now’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera kept on saying that adequate stocks of petrol and diesel were being released to the market, but the country continues to experience serious shortages of fuel.

There are long queues for both petrol and diesel in Colombo, its suburbs as well as in the Provinces.

Opposition trade union leader Ananda Palitha yesterday (23) alleged that although the CPC and IOC had sufficient stocks of diesel and petrol, adequate quantities were not released as the government was unsure of fresh procurement once the stocks were depleted.

Palitha, who served the government petroleum sector for nearly 40 years before retiring recently said that the Power and Energy Ministry should immediately do away with restrictions on the releasing of petrol and diesel.

Responding to another query, Palitha emphasised that the market couldn’t be controlled by imposing restrictions.

Such measures would only help create black market, he said.

According to the Samagi Jana Balavegaya activist, the petrol and diesel stocks now available and the consignments that were to be unloaded within the next several days would meet the demand for both products for nearly a month each. Palitha said that such stocks included both those obtained through the Indian credit line and other purchases. “Both Ceypetco and Lanka IOC have approximately 120,000 mt of petrol and diesel 157,000 mt in their depots.

Ceypetco Chairman Sumith Wijesinha was not available for comment. Lanka IOC spokesperson, too, didn’t answer his mobile phone.

Palitha questioned Power and Energy Minister Wijesekera’s efforts to improve the situation by threatening to suspend the supply of petroleum products to filling stations affected by violent incidents. The trade unionist pointed out that the young minister should realise that there were protests because the government had imposed restrictions on supplies. “Why should consumers and service station owners be made to suffer due to the government’s folly?” Ananda Palitha asked.

Commenting on the possibility of another fuel price increase, Ananda Palitha said that Lanka IOC was seeking another price revision. Referring to Minister Wijesekera’s recent statement on the need for Ceypetco and Lanka IOC to have a common pricing formula, Ananda Palitha asked for how long the government could delay another upward revision.

Ananda Palitha said that the government should without further delay take the public into confidence and tell them about IMF conditions.

With pressure mounting on service stations, the government has deployed both police and the military to control angry crowds. At Badulla over the weekend, an argument among those waiting at a fuel queue led to a person’s neck being slashed. The police identified him as a private bus worker.

Police spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa alleged that some organised groups were trying to cause unnecessary friction among consumers. The police were aware of the situation, the official said, urging the public not to fall prey to rabble rousers.

Newly-appointed Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday said that his first priority would be to meet the fuel requirement of the farming community. The SLFPer said that he would discuss the issue at hand with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Minister Wijesekera. Severe shortage of fuel had hindered farming activities, the minister said.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.