(PTI)
The Indian Oil Corporation’s Sri Lanka operation on Tuesday received flak for the fuel shortage in the island nation with motorists lining up in long queues at petrol stations.Petroleum authorities had turned away a Lanka IOC, Indian Oil’s subsidiary in Sri Lanka, shipment of gasoline last month saying it was contaminated. To make matters worse, a shipment meant for the state petroleum entity was also delayed. “Lanka IOC shipment with petrol was rejected on October 17. We cannot accept it. We have asked the ship to go back,” Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga told reporters.
Ranatunga said that LIOC should have made arrangements for an alternative shipment which they had not done. The fuel shortage would last at least two more days, he said, adding the government was working to resolve the crisis. Another shipment is expected to arrive on Wednesday, he said. “I apologise to consumers for this inconvenience, but we rejected the last shipment because we didn’t want to give substandard product to our motorists,” he said.
