Smooth flow of fuel to Jaffna

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) will take speedy action to fulfil the fuel requirements of the Jaffna peninsula by permanently hiring an oil tanker to transport fuel to Jaffna by the first week of October, Petroleum Corporation sources said.

The CEO of the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminal Ltd. Gen. Lionel Balagalle told the Daily News yesterday that enough fuel stocks have already been transported to Jaffna to be distributed without any restriction.

"The delay in unloading those fuel stocks due to congestion at the harbour has resulted in a fuel shortage in the peninsula. But there won't be any fuel shortage in Jaffna with the completion of unloading of the fuels stocks," General Balagalle added.

He said fuel stocks have to be transported to Jaffna hiring ships at higher costs and even paying delay charges at the rate of US $ 45,000 per day if unloading is delayed at ports.

He said 2,100 Metric Tonnes of fuel that has been transported to Point Pedro has already been unloaded after a long delay due to congestion at the port.

Distribution Manager Lalith Hettitantri told the Daily News that 2100 Metric tonnes of auto diesel transported by 'Dunhinda' has already been unloaded in Point Pedro for distribution in the peninsula. Another ship carrying 1,000 Metric tonnes of fuels consisting 600 Metric Tonnes of auto diesel and 400 Metric Tonnes of kerosene is due to arrive in Jaffna by September 29.

"With the unloading of these fuel stocks there won't be any fuel shortage in the peninsula," Hettitantri added.

He, however, said that there is scarcity of petrol in the peninsula and that too will be overcome very shortly by making special arrangement to transport petrol to the peninsula.

He said that CPC can assure an uninterrupted fuel supply to the Jaffna peninsula by the first week of October with the hiring of a tanker permanently to transport fuel to the peninsula.

He said there won't be any restriction on distribution except for the allocation of fuel for power generators.