Courtesy Hiru News

A special discussion on the gas crisis is scheduled to be held on 21 December under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

It is reported that the ministers in charge of the subject, as well as the heads of the gas companies, are scheduled to participate in the discussion and a number of decisions are to be taken there.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Standards has decided that the propane content of a domestic gas cylinder sold in Sri Lanka should be 30 percent.

The Court of Appeal today ordered Litro and Laugfs Gas to release only compliant domestic gas cylinders.

The bench of Justices Ruwan Fernando and Sampath Wijeyeratne passed the order on a petition filed by Nagananda Kodithuwakku, a civil society activist, seeking an inquiry into the explosions caused by the gas leaks.

Accordingly, the Court of Appeal issued another order to take steps to recall the unused gas cylinders currently on the market.

Nagananda Kodithuwakku had earlier requested the court to issue an order to the company to recall the half-used gas cylinders currently in the possession of consumers and to pay a certain amount for the same.

The court also directed the Consumer Affairs Authority to look into the matter and prepare an appropriate program.

The court ordered that the petition be heard and ordered that it be called on 26 January.

State Counsel Manohara Jayasinghe, appearing for the Sri Lanka Bureau of Standards, stated that a special meeting was scheduled to be held on the 20th to determine the composition of a domestic gas cylinder, but the meeting was abrupt.

At that meeting, it was decided that the composition of “propane” which should be contained in a domestic gas cylinder should be 30 percent.

State Minister of Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna while participating in the ‘Balaya’ program telecast on Hiru TV yesterday stated that there is a problem with the gas samples contained in the second Litro gas ship that arrived on the island last Monday.

For months, the lives of the people of this country have been in a very precarious situation with this gas crisis. No matter what anyone says, gas companies cannot shirk that responsibility.

Our news team has revealed to the country not once but twice that the chairman of Litro, which is operating with public funds in such a background, had followed a dormant policy in this regard.

His irresponsible disregard for our phone calls cannot be underestimated. This is because he is responsible for the welfare and safety of gas consumers in the country.

However, Theshara Jayasinghe, the Chairman of Litro Gas Company, who was avoiding the media in the face of the gas crisis, had to appear before the media today.

That is because he and the Chairman of Laugfs Gas Company K.H. Wegapitiya, Director General of the Industrial Technology Institute, and the Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation were summoned before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka today.

However, the chairman of the Litro Gas Company, as usual, fled the scene in front of Hiru Correspondents who exposed the gas scam to the country.

He is the Chairman as well as the CEO of Litro and operates all of its official offices and earns over Rs. 2 million a month from public taxes.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the heads of the gas companies have expressed their displeasure over the negligence of various parties.

U.R. de Silva, President’s Counsel to the Ministry of Justice, stated that there was a possibility of criminal action against the heads of the gas companies.

Several accidents due to gas leaks from domestic gas cylinders were reported in several areas today as well.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Rights Organization today staged a protest in front of the Consumer Affairs Authority regarding the dangerous situation faced by gas consumers throughout the country.