Minister Weerakody denies conflict between CPC and LIOC

Petroleum Resources Development Minister Chandima Weerakkody yesterday denied any conflict between the State-owned Ceylon Petroleum Cooperation and Indian Oil Company.

“There was a misunderstanding and that was solved later. Some of the decisions that were taken during the last few weeks were not communicated to them effectively, that is the reason behind the misunderstanding. This has been solved now,” Weerakkody told Daily FT. 

However, media reports claimed that the officer who visited the High-Security Oil Tank Farm in the eastern Sri Lankan city of Trincomalee, owned by Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC), on Thursday were held by the management for unlawful entry, prompting them to later lodge a complaint with the Police.

LIOC Managing Director Shyam Bohora was quoted by the New Indian Express that the unauthorised entrant was discovered on his way out. He was questioned and let off when he revealed his identity as a CPC staffer. 

Bohora had said that the officials were not detained but were only questioned to ascertain the identity of the unauthorised entrant.

According to reports, the CPC officials were visiting the site to inspect the tanks in the Upper Tank Farm as the Government plans to use them for storing fuel to be used for electricity generation in the wake of warnings that Sri Lanka is heading for a power crisis.

Bohora is reported to have raised this matter with the Power and Petroleum Ministries on Thursday, and offered to collaborate with the CPC in using the tanks in the Lower Farm to store fuel.