DailyMirror.lk:
Railway employees yesterday said that the government was paying exorbitant amounts to India for the installation of rail tracks to the North and East while it could be done by Sri Lanka for half the price.
The Organization for Protection of the Properties and the Rights of Railway Employees (OPPRRE) yesterday alleged that the government was paying Rs. 200 million to India for nearly 250 km of track when it could be done by the Railway Department for Rs.75 million.
“We reinstalled the 42 km Galle- Matara railway track after it was completely destroyed by the tsunami in just 57 days. When an Indian company the government asked to re-install the rail tracks said that they will take longer,” OPPRRE Convener, Sumathipala Manavaduva said. He explained that if it’s the Railway Department it would cost Rs. 40 million and a less period of time to re-install the tracks.
Mr. Manavaduva said that due to the MOU signed between the Indian and Sri Lankan governments, the government now had to pay a large amount to India. “We are asking the government why we can’t do the rail tracks ourselves.
We have proved that we are talented and we have 5,000 or so workers if this is not enough then the government can employ some of the unemployed people in the country,” he said.
He also said that the government had given no reason as to why the project was given to others when they were more than capable of doing the project themselves. Mr. Manavaduva also said that there would be Indian as well as local workers, laying the tracks to the North and the East.
“We ask the government to terminate whatever is related to the railways in the MOU,” he said. He also stated that the railway workers were ready to make a stand against this.