India rushes more supplies as Sri Lanka declares emergency

New Delhi, April 2

India began an emergency shipment of 40,000 tonnes of rice while the fourth consignment of 40,000 tonnes of diesel reached Sri Lanka on a day the Rajapaksa regime imposed a 36-hour curfew and nationwide public emergency.

The shipment of rice ahead of a major festival and diesel to intermittently provide power to the nation comes ahead of a major Sinhalese festival.

Vehicles abandoned

• With severe paucity of fuel, people have abandoned vehicles on the roads
• The government recently had to deploy army at petrol pumps to man security
• Several persons have died while standin g in queues at fuel stations

Mega bailout package

40K tonnes of rice sent ahead of major festival

40K tonnes of diesel shipped to provide power

$900 mn worth help extended since Jan

$1.5 bn addl help in the pipeline

The Rajapaksa regime, which was rattled by a mob trying to storm the Presidential palace on Friday, is bracing for more organised, opposition-led countrywide protests on Sunday against the government’s poor handling of the economic crisis. A confrontation may be looming as the imposition of curfew would prevent citizens from holding protests.

Sri Lanka is desperately short of foreign exchange after a series of economically disastrous events, including the pandemic and a terrorist attack followed by missteps by the Rajapaksa government.

The fourth consignment of diesel from India will keep essential services working in a nation where 12-hour power cuts have become routine and vehicles have been abandoned on the roads due to lack of fuel.

The severe economic crisis roiling Sri Lanka has raised the spectre of undocumented migration to India. Over a week back, six Sri Lankan nationals were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard after they were left stranded on an island.

Colombo has sent a positive signal by signing a joint venture with India for a 100-MW solar power plant in Trincomalee. On the security front, Colombo hosted a conference of NSAs of regional countries for a collective approach to maritime security.

Ex-prez calls for all-party govt

Colombo: Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s Freedom Party has called on President Rajapaksa to form an all-party government to tide over the worst economic crisis in the nation and said it might leave the alliance if its request was ignored. PTI

Fourth diesel batch

India has sent fourth diesel consignment to keep essential services working in Sri Lanka where 12-hour power cuts have become routine