Sri Lanka rolls out fuel rationing system amid ongoing conflict in West Asia
Colombo (PTI): Sri Lanka on Sunday rolled out a fuel rationing system through QR code in view of a possible crisis situation due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Cars are allowed 15 litres per week, while buses are allowed 60 litres per week, the Ministry of Energy said.
The QR rationing is introduced as a measure in view of hoarding by the consumers despite the continuous availability of enough fuel for 4 months, it said.
The rationing comes after the government announced this week that it was hopeful of securing fuel supplies from India and Russia.
Long queues were witnessed outside fuel retailers due to problems with the operation of the QR code, retailers said.
Earlier last week, Sri Lanka raised fuel prices to contain hoarding even as long queues were seen at fuel pumps since the war broke out on February 28.
The government had appealed to people to cut down on non-essential travel to minimise fuel usage.
Rationing using QR code was successful in curbing the problem when the supplies ran dry due to forex shortage during the 2022 economic crisis, making it difficult to pay for the shipments.
An Indian credit line through the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC), the company's Sri Lanka operation, helped diffuse tensions. That year, between March and July, over 25 people died due to exhaustion after spending long hours in fuel queues.
Starting February 28, the US and Israel have launched a massive joint attack on Iran and with Iran's retaliation, it has extended to the entire Gulf region. Iranian strikes in Hormuz have affected maritime traffic in the strait, which is crucial for global supply chains for crude and oil.
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Goal is to win IPL trophy for Rajasthan Royals, says Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
New Delhi (PTI): An U-19 World Cup winner at 14, batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi now has his eyes set on winning the Indian Premier League title for Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming season.
Sooyavanshi took the IPL 2025 by storm by becoming the tournament's youngest centurion, and earlier this year, his 80-ball 175-run knock in the final against England propelled India to a record-extending sixth U-19 World Cup title in Harare.
He is now focussed on the IPL.
"The goal this IPL season is to win the trophy for the team, as it is a very important thing. I want to do well, and my performance will help the whole team. This is my goal -- to contribute to RR's wins and win the trophy for the franchise," Sooryavanshi told broadcaster Star Sports on the sidelines of the BCCI Naman Awards here on Sunday.
Known for his explosive batting, Sooryavanshi met his World Cup-winning teammates at the awards function.
"(It) feels really nice. Won a trophy as well for India at the World Cup. Because of this award ceremony, feeling nice to meet my teammates and coaches again here," the teen sensation said.
Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to sign an IPL contract when Rajasthan Royals picked up the then 13-year-old in 2024 for Rs 1.1 crore.
The youngster from Bihar recalled his early days with the RR scouts.
"When I made my domestic debut, RR had been keeping an eye on me during my domestic and Under-19 games. Their scouting team had been keeping an eye on me for a long time. I felt that I could go to RR because my trial with them had gone very well," he said.
"I am happy to be with RR, as I have improved a lot too in my life while playing for them."
Sooryavanshi said he has learned a lot from the legendary Rahul Dravid and other seniors in the team.
"For any youngster, the first IPL camp is always interesting and it was the same for me too.
"Rahul (Dravid) sir was there at that time, so I got to learn a lot from him. There were a lot of senior players in the team, and I had a good learning experience from them during the first camp as well as the first IPL," he said.
