Wastage and corruption cause of losses
The All Ceylon Railway Employees Union (ACREU) charged that unnecessary purchases, wastage and corruption during procurements by the Railway Department and the failure to collect money owed for the leased property owned by the Department had resulted in the loss of income to the Railway Department.
ACREU General Secretary Sumathipala Manavadu said they had complained to the authorities regarding these concerns and were waiting for a reply from the Minister regarding the matter.
Manawadu further said the department was losing 25% of its daily revenue due to people travelling without tickets. “The 350,000 people who use railway as their mode of transport daily have been put in a difficult situation by the increase of railway fares after the massive fuel price hike in the past few days.
Around a million public sector employees are suffering because of the increase in the cost of living as salary revisions have also not been effected since 2006,” he added.
An increase of railway fares is due from June 1 due to the fuel price hike. However Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said recently that the fuel prices will only be increased by 17%.
By: Kassapa Ellepola
Source: Daily Mirror
Tags: authorities, ceylon, corruption, failure, fuel price hike, fuel prices, general secretary, money, procurements, public sector employees, railway department, railway employees, railway fares, salary revisions, transport minister, wastage
