• Says all 100 tanks had already been handed over to India in 2003

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Asserting that there was no basis in the reports that plans were afoot to hand over Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm to India, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday that he had not met the visiting Indian Foreign Secretary as claimed by some people. 

He told Parliament that the Indian Foreign Secretary had not even sought a meeting with him during his visit to Sri Lanka.

“There is no basis in the reports that the Government is going to hand over Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm to India. It is a bugbear which is spreading these days,” he said.

Responding to a question raised by SJB MP Hesha Withanage, the Minister said all the 100 tanks in the Farm had already been handed over to India in 2003 and through the 1987 Indo-Lanka Agreement.

“According to the letter between J.R. Jayewardene and Rajiv Gandhi corresponding to the Indo-Lanka agreement, Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm can be developed only by India,” he said.

He said he as the subject minister was making every effort for the last one and half years to take over the oil tanks back to the government.

Responding to another question on handing over 40 per cent shares of the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant to an America Company, the Minister said he was not against it and added that however, he had submitted two observations with regard to the handing over of the contract to supply LNG to a single company.

• According to the letter between J.R. Jayewardene and Rajiv Gandhi corresponding to the Indo-Lanka agreement, Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm can be developed only by India