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CPC-Bharat deal: Minister says yes and no
JVP warns of strike action
The proposed sale of remaining shares of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to India's Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is inevitable, Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha said yesterday. But the JVP has warned of another crippling strike if that happened.

The minister said the agreement had been signed by the UNF government and the UPFA was forced to go ahead with it. "The only option is to negotiate a partnership deal with the Bharat Petroleum," the minister said but declined to comment whether the Indian company would agree to new terms.

But JVP union leader Lakshman Ananda said the union had been assured by the minister that he would oppose any move to sell the remaining shares to the Indian company.

The union leader said a ministerial committee had earlier been appointed to look into the issue, but except for JVP minister K. D. Lalkantha and Mr. Premajayantha, other ministers had not even attended the meetings of the committee. The union leader said they would have no option but to consider strike action if a decision was taken to go ahead with the sale.

Meanwhile, the JVP leadership is remaining tight-lipped on this and other disputes with the government. Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa said he did not wish to comment due to "political reasons".

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