JVP asks Chamal to summon parliament asap

14 February 2012 12:14 am

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday wrote to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa asking him to summon Parliament immediately to discuss the country’s crisis situation triggered by the unprecedented fuel price hike.

JVP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the rupee had been drastically devalued against the US dollar resulting in fuel prices having soared by the largest ever percentage in history.

At midnight on Saturday, the government increased the price of diesel by Rs.31 a litre, petrol by Rs.12 a litre and kerosene oil by Rs.35 a litre.

Mr. Dissanayake said private bus operators had launched a strike and fishermen have taken to the streets demanding fuel subsidies.

The JVP had also staged protest rallies in Anuradhapura, Matara, Puttalam, Badulla and Colombo.

JVP propaganda secretary Vijitha Herath said a massive protest rally would be held tomorrow in Colombo in tandem with district level rallies. (Kelum Bandara)