|
|
Don t bring planes down, UNP tells govt.
Monday, 7 May 2012 - 8:15 PM SL Time
 Share On Facebook
|
|
|
The UNP and the JVP yesterday lashed out at the government for the import of low quality aviation fuel for aircraft at the Bandaranaike International Airport. They said the fuel imports were riddled with corruption and the government was playing with the lives of innocent civilians.
The two parties said they were surprised that no one had been held responsible for the fraudulent oil deal.
Colombo District UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake, pointing out that the government had earlier imported substandard fuel for motor vehicles, which developed engine trouble and stalled on roads, asked what would happen if aircraft engines were to fail in midair. That would severely tarnish Sri Lanka s image internationally, he said.
MP Karunanayake demanded that Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayanth and the entire government resign immediately. `Once it was substandard motor car fuel and now it is substandard aviation fuel. This is a government which has no control over the cost of living and to say the least, it cannot even set an examination paper without it being leaked.`
JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the import of fuel was a huge business with 38% of the national imports being channeled for fuel imports and that the decisions to purchase fuel were taken on the basis of kickbacks to politicians and bureaucrats and scant attention was paid to quality, effective prices and industrial standards.
Unless remedial action was taken, there would be no end to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) corruption, Dissanayake said.
Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayanth told The Island yesterday that the CPC would now use the contaminated stock of jet fuel of 7,500 tonnes as ordinary kerosene and the Singaporean supplier British Petroleum had been informed of the CPC s decision. He said that there was no danger of aircraft being affected as the samples of oil checked at the entry point had been found not to the mark, and therefore, rejected. Therefore, there was no danger of the substandard jet fuel getting into aircraft, the Minister said, asking the Opposition not to engage in panic-mongering.
|
|
|
|
Search All News and Discussions