Railwaymen against Indian agreement
The US$167 million loan agreement between the Transport Ministry and the Indian government would be the initial step towards the privatisation of the railway alleged All Ceylon Railway Employees General Union (ACREGU).
The agreement signed on July 17, 2008 to restore damaged coastal railway lines will not only allow two Indian companies to oversee work on the restoration but also gives them the right to bring down their own workforce. This is bound to impact negatively on the Railway Department said General Secretary, ACREGU Sumathipala Manawadu.
The 300-page agreement has clearly indicated that the Transport Ministry has vested authority to the Indian government to bring its own workforce for the restoration work. But Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma has denied this.
“Minister Alahapperuma is trying to hoodwink railway employees in general and the public in particular. We are aware of the conditions for the loan. According to the agreement Indian Right and the Indian Ircon companies have not only undertaken railway line restoration between Galle and Matara but also the entire southern coastal line and the Matara-Kataragama railway extension as well,” Manawadu told The Morning Leader.
According to him the Transport Ministry has also agreed to import spare parts from India. “Most of our carriages and engines are from China. Why has the Minister agreed to import Indian spare parts for Chinese engines. These will not be compatible. Do the Indians really want to sell their own spare parts to Sri Lanka or will they import from China and charge more from us,” Manawadu questioned.
By Nirmala Kannangara
Source: The Mornning Leader
