Opposition MP dismisses President's Mannar Basin oil and gas plan as unrealistic

Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake has described President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's budget proposal to explore for offshore oil and gas in the Mannar Basin as unrealistic. Speaking during the budget debate, he said successive governments had raised the same idea since 1975 without it ever being realised.

Dassanayake also noted that the current ruling party had criticised upstream petroleum development while in opposition, during Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency. He said the government would not be obstructed if it tried, but asserted that no oil or gas would be extracted from the Mannar Basin during its current term.