Chairman of LAUGFS Holdings Ltd W. K.H. Wegapitiya yesterday said that he would make available petrol at all his sheds at Rs 100 per litre from midnight yesterday.

Wegapitiya gave this pledge last afternoon after The Island pointed out the absurdity in Wegapitiya’s failure to implement the Supreme Court directive despite his being one of the petitioners to move the Supreme Court against the infamous oil hedging deal with a view to bringing down the price of petrol.

The Island received this assurance as the country struggled without adequate petrol even at the CPC prices due to the government’s decision to wait till Wednesday to decide on the SC order.

Wegapitiya said that he obtained his supplies from the CPC and was not in anyway bound to comply with the Supreme Court order unless the government issued stocks at the new rates as directed by the Supreme Court.

Responding to our queries, he said that the LIOC had complied with the SC directive as it imported refined petrol from India and other sources whereas his supplies came from the CPC. It wouldn’t be fair to expect cheaper petrol from him as the government was yet to act on the SC directive, he said.

He dismissed the perception that he had moved the SC against the government over high taxes on petrol. "I moved the SC against the hedging deal," he said adding that reduction of the price of petrol was sought by a political party and a Buddhist monk.

When questioned whether Wegapitiya, who proudly called himself a real patriot and true son of mother Lanka could ignore the SC order, which would be immensely beneficial to the people trying to make ends meet, Wegapitiya said that he would meet The Island’s challenge. "I’ll reduce the price of petrol despite the losses," he said.