News
Litro’s hot air fills cooking gas cylinders; disappointed people suffer in long queues
Rain (above) or sun (below) people wait in vain for the gas that never comes. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara and Eshan Fernando
Uncertainty continues over the supply of cooking gas, as Litro Gas, the main supplier, keeps on disappointing the people queuing up outside retail outlets, sometimes for more than a day.
Despite the company’s assurance to the Parliament’s Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) last week that it would take measures to mitigate the inconvenience caused to the people, the crisis intensified with the company unable to send supplies to the market for the past six days.
On Wednesday, the company assured the public that supplies would resume on Sunday, only to shatter the hopes of the public with an announcement on Thursday that supplies would not be sent to the market until mid-next week.
The reason given was the delay in the arrival of shipments. Its officials refused to talk to the media and chose to send out media statements, informing of different dates for the resumption of supplies.
Nevertheless, endless queues were seen in all parts of the country. Women, men, and the elderly stood for hours sometimes from the wee hours in the hope of buying a cylinder of cooking gas. 
The absence of cooking gas in the market has driven many households to use kerosene stoves. But it is a case of a fall from the frying pan to the fire. With kerosene also in short supply, people are seen in lengthy queues in Ceypetco fuel stations. Their wait continues sometimes till the following day when the sheds do not receive supplies. LIOC sheds do not sell kerosene.
When supplies come, many sheds use their own criteria to ration it to cope with the crowd. Some sell a maximum of only one and a half litres, which, many complain, is hardly enough. Some sheds have set a 500-rupee limit.
One of the worst hit by the kerosene shortage is the fishing sector. Without kerosene, most fishermen are unable to use their motorised boats. As a result, many fishermen are suffering without a daily income. The situation has also led to a shortage of fish in the market and a sharp price increase.
Last week, Litro Gas, which was questioned by COPE for its failure to unload gas shipments speedily, had promised to resume supplies without interruption from Friday.
Litro chairman Vijitha Herath was optimistic that the shipments that had already arrived could be cleared and a continuous supply maintained with the use of the Indian credit line and a World Bank loan facility. It also promised COPE that a WhatsApp app would be launched to disseminate information to the public on the availability of the commodity in outlets close to them.
However, following the assurance given, gas was supplied only for two days — Saturday and Sunday, after which the supply had dried up. The company also failed to introduce the App or a 24-hour hotline, as promised. Its existing hotline kept the caller on wait only to be discontinued to the callers’ frustration.
When asked, COPE Chairman Charitha Herath attributed the shortage to the dollar crisis. He said Litro had already informed COPE of its inability to continue with the supply since payments for the two shipments had not been made.
He said the company had indicated that payments had been made for the two shipments and supply would resume today (Sunday).
The COPE chairman said the format and guidelines on the distribution had already been sent to the company. Accordingly, the company is required to distribute 60 percent of the supplies to the Colombo and Gampaha districts on account of their higher population.
Meanwhile, Litro’s duopoly partner Laugfs Gas said it would resume full supplies, beginning next month. “We have had talks with the authorities and arrangements have been made to resolve several matters. We are ready to resume operations,” an official said.
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