I also call on the Governor Eastern Province to suspend this chairman immediately and to take disciplinary action against him. We call on the President, the Prime Minister, and Minister in charge of police, and the IGP to investigate this incident.
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It is wrong for the opposition to try to place the blame at our doorstep. I table all the documents with regard to this process which violated many regulations.
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The urban council has no powers to start a ferry service in this manner. MP Maharoof too was involved in commencing the ferry service.
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As per the request of people and MPs a decision was made to consider the start of a ferry service and RDA was planning to commence a proper ferry service with safety precautions but the urban council chairman by the name of Riyaz, who is the brother in law of SJB MP Imran Maharoof, issued a permit on his own. A question has been raised in parliament on Jseeking the approval for the ferry service and in response to that we instructed the contracting company to expedite the work on the bridge. It was he who arrogated power to himself to grant the permit while the government and the officials continuously rejected the requests for a permit. I state that the first person responsible for this tragedy is the chairman of the Kinniya Urban Council. These operators have not even provided a life jacket to the passengers. There are safety measures to be followed when operating a ferry service. The permit had been issued to a businessman. It is after that the Urban Council had issued the permit on its own. The RDA also turned down a request by Kinniya Urban Council for the use of a barge because it was unsafe. “When the Kinniya Pradeshiya Sabha asked for permission from the Road Development Authority that request was turned down because it was not safe. While people were using that alternative route the political authority gave permission for the operation of the ferry. That decision had been made by the political authorities of the Urban Council and Members of the Pradeshiya Sabhas of the area. There had been a meeting on at the Kinniya Divisional Secretariat where permission was granted to use a three and half km long road as an alternative route until the bridge is completed. After we came to power we laid the foundation stone to construct the bridge on April 10, 2021. Following the requests from the people, several ministers of the yahapalana government went there and placed foundation stones several times. Some had used boats for their travel across the lagoon. People in Kinniya had suffered for a long time because they did not have a bridge across the Kurinchenkerni lagoon. We also wish speedy recovery of those who are in the hospital owing to this tragic accident. Making a special statement in Parliament State Minister Lanza said: “We extend our condolences to the victims and family members of this disaster. Minister Lanza said, requesting the Governor of the Eastern Province to remove the UC chairman concerned from office and take disciplinary action against him. The regional politicians, using their political power, had operated the ferry service and many lives had been lost due to the actions of the Urban Council Chairman. Minister Lanza said that the government had not issued any permits for a ferry service in the Kurinchenkerni lagoon. Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure State Minister, Nimal Lanza, yesterday, in Parliament, said that the Kinniya Urban Council Chairman, who is the brother-in-law of SLMC Batticaloa District MP Imran Maharoof, was responsible for the tragedy in Kinniya which claimed six lives on Tuesday. We will start importing crude oil when the balance of payment crisis is over,” he said. Given that international rating agencies have downgraded Sri Lanka, it has become really hard to get loans. “The CPC finds it extremely hard to obtain loans. He added that Sri Lanka spent about USD 350 million a month to import fuel. Minister Gammanpila said that the refinery only produced 14% of the country’s total petrol needs and 29% of diesel needs of the country. Those reserves can be used to import petrol, diesel, medicines, food, gas and other essential goods,” the minister said. Thus, there is little sense to import crude oil because 56% of it is used for producing furnace oil and jet fuel. Moreover only long distance flights need jet fuel. Thus, the Ministry of Power has informed us that it does not need furnace oil. Due to heavy rains, the CEB produces over 50% of electricity with hydro power. Out of the total production of the refinery, 37% is furnace oil and naphtha, 19% jet fuel and 43% petrol and diesel. Minister of Energy, Udaya Gammanpila yesterday said the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery would be closed for 50 days, but the closure would not affect fuel supplies.Īddressing the media yesterday in Colombo, the Minister said the government had been compelled to adopt that measure as it was utilising its limited foreign reserves frugally.