Govt trying to resolve fuel crisis in two weeks, sheds to be given priority identified

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is working on a plan to resolve the fuel crisis within two weeks while identifying fuel stations which need to be given top priority to receive fuel supplies, a senior government official said.

Under the plan, some 32 fuel stations across the country have been named and the Director-General of Essential Services has already issued orders to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to ensure that sufficient stocks are made available to these sheds to regularize fuel supplies.

The move has been followed by an announcement by Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara who took part in the first cabinet meeting on Sunday. 

The Minister in a Twitter message said with the arrival of the Diesel cargo yesterday and three vessels to reach SL in the next two weeks under the Indian Creditine fuel will be made available.

He has urged the public not to queue up or top up the next three days until the 1190 fuel station deliveries are completed.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission on Sunday said that the latest shipment under the India credit line was delivered raising the number of shipments to 12 with more than 400,000 Mt of fuel.
CPC sources said that the unloading of the fuel from the latest has commenced and supplies should be made available to the sheds in the next 24 hours. 

Meanwhile, long queues have been observed in the sheds where fuel has been available while a number of sheds have been closed without fuel.

The list of the 32  filling station dealers which will be given priority in fuel distribution and the locations are as follows;

Galle MPCS (Galle Fort), Harischandra Mills Ltd (Matara), Sri Lanka Red Cross Society shed (Hambantota), Kuliyapitiya MPCS (Ltd) (Kuliyapitiya), Kurunegala MPCS Ltd (Kurunegala), Puttalam MPCS Ltd (Kurunegala), Kegalle MPCS Ltd (Kegalle), N.P.G. Apponsingho  (Ratnapura), Manthai West MPCS Ltd (Mannar), S. Anandarajha (Vavuniya), Maritimepattu MPCS Ltd (Mullaitivu), Karachi South MPCS Ltd (Kilinochchi), Jaffna MPCS Ltd (Jaffna), CF de Mel and sons (Parsons road), B.S. Cooray (Ambatale), Vihanga distributors (Hanwella), R.L.Fernando (Ratmalana), KDMB Loura (Ekala), AirForce Welfare Society (Coppara Junction – Gampaha district), PM Wimalasiri (Ethagama in Kalutara), HDC holdings (Horana), Middle East Petroleum dealers (Badulla), Monaragala Kandukara MPCS Ltd (Monaragala), Anuradhapura MPCS Ltd ( Anurardhapura) , Polonnaruwa MPCS Ltd (Polonnaruwa), Mahanuwara MPCS Ltd (Kandy), KPP Munasinghe (Kundasale), Manchanayaka Piravumhala (Dambulla), DD Kasthuriarachchi Sons (Nuwara Eliya), PT Arasan and Son (Batticaloa), Ampara MPCS Ltd (Ampara) an Trincomalee MPCS Ltd (Orr’s Hill Trincomalee) .