Many Sri Lankans lost their lives on several occasions due to wrong decisions made by the Government pushing the people to wait in long queas to purchase LP Gas and fuel paying high prices.
One such incident is the gas crisis, when authorities allegedly changed the composition of gas cylinders, causing accidents due to gas leaks and explosions throughout the country.
Investigations have revealed that 7 persons were killed and nearly 100 were injured in these incidents, and by today, justice has not been carried out with regard to these incidents.
None of the authorities responsible for the damage done to the general public of the country has been punished, and nobody has been held liable.
Another instance is when the fertilizer crisis took place, as the sudden decision to ban chemical fertilizer rendered the farmers helpless, and harvests were affected.
Farmers who were supposed to be at the paddy fields took to the streets for weeks, and today the whole country suffers due to that decision.
Now, Sri Lankans remain in queues for essential items for days, while at the same time suffering from hunger and a number of other issues.
People are sometimes collapsing while they stand in queues, while two lives have already been claimed by this disaster.
As not any other country in the region experiences these issues, as the question remains who is liable for these crises in the country.
What is imperative, however, is that only people are able to stand for the people, at present.
In this set up two LP Gas providers enjoying oligopoly have been allowed to increase the prices of LP Gas arbitrarily with no intervention of the government to provide relief to consumers most of them are ruling party supporters who voted this SLPP to power.
The present rulers are just gazing at long queues to buy LP Gas and fuel doing nothing to provide any relief amidst unbearable price hikes as if they were deaf and blind distancing from their responsibility of the pledge given to the public for “ Prosperity and Splendour” Laugfs Gas PLC, one of the main liquefied petroleum gas suppliers in Sri Lanka, announced a staggering hike in the rates of its products today (March 20).
Thereby, the price of a 12.5kg domestic LP gas cylinder soared to Rs. 4,199. Meanwhile, the price of a 5kg cylinder increased to Rs. 1,680 while the price of a 2kg cylinder rose to Rs. 672.
A spokesperson of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said LP gas companies are allowed to revise the prices at their discretion after the price control on LP gas was lifted.
Accordingly, the prices of domestic LP gas cylinders issued to the market are decided by the companies, the spokesperson added.
The LP gas companies are however instructed to inform the CAA about price revisions. The CAA said the Laugfs Gas PLC is yet to convey its move to the authority.
Sri Lanka is currently afflicted by a shortage of LP gas due to the ongoing forex crisis. Long queues are still seen outside LP gas distribution centres across the island
Litro Gas limited has reportedly requested the government to increase the price of a 12.5 kg gas cylinder by Rs. 850.
12.5 kg litro domestic gas cylinder is currently sold at Rs. 2,750. In October 2021, the 12.5 kg litro domestic gas cylinder was sold for less than Rs 1500.
Litro resumed gas distribution to several areas recently. However, still long gas queues were witnessed in some areas of the country.
In the past weeks, gas distribution had been disrupted as there were issues in opening LCs for gas purchases due to the dollar shortage.
