Eight fuel storage tanks lie idle in Polonnaruwa

• Fuel bowser mafia does not want to develop them 

By Kelum Bandara 

Eight fuel storage tanks adjacent to the railway stations in Polonnaruwa and Welikanda remain abandoned, causing losses to the state, a Minister said.

Highways and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana who recently inspected the tanks said fuel distribution cost could be reduced if they were rehabilitated.

He said the railway authorities alone could not do it without the support of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). 

In Polonnaruwa, there are three tanks with a storage capacity of 100,000 litres each. Five tanks in Welikanda have a storage capacity of 54,000 litres each. 

“There is a mafia-style fuel distribution by private bowser operators. 

They don’t want these tanks to be developed,” he said.