PHU Leader Udaya Gammanpila accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of misleading the public regarding the development of the Trincomalee oil tank complex under a joint agreement with India.
Addressing a press conference, Gammanpila referred to the President’s recent statement in Katukurunda, claiming that 61 of the 99 tanks would be developed under a joint venture between Sri Lanka and India, while 24 tanks would remain under the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). Gammanpila said the President presented this as a new initiative, but the project was finalized three years ago during his tenure as Minister of Energy.
“When I assumed duties in 2020, all 99 tanks had been under Indian control since 2002. Of these, only 14 were in use by Lanka IOC, and two were leased to a private company. The remaining 83 had been abandoned for 75 years. After prolonged negotiations, we recovered all 83 tanks, retaining 24 for CPC operations and assigning the rest for joint development under a new company, Trinco Petroleum Terminals Ltd. This agreement was signed on January 6, 2022,” he said.
Gammanpila noted that renovations of five tanks had begun in 2022 and are near completion. He criticized the President for inspecting these facilities without acknowledging prior efforts.
“The President should review the Ministry of Energy website, which documents this project’s history. I even presented this book titled “තෙල් ටැංකි යළි රටට” (Oil tanks back to the country) in Parliament. If he had read it, he wouldn’t make such misleading statements,” Gammanpila added.
The PHU leader also criticized the government for attempting to claim credit for previous projects. “Just as the Minister of Agriculture claimed credit for reviving the Hingurana sugar factory, while the current Energy Minister tried to take ownership of oil refinery projects, the President is now portraying this development as his own initiative,” he said.
Gammanpila accused the government of relying on misinformation to maintain power. He also highlighted resistance he faced while negotiating the oil tank agreement, particularly from NPP members at the time. “They protested across the country, claiming national security was at risk. After public debates, we exposed the truth and silenced these critics. It’s ironic they now accept the project was right,” Gammanpila said. (Newswire)
