Locomotive left unattended at DIMO due to unpaid dues
While the rail engine (591) severely damaged by the Tsunami four years ago had been re-deployed on Friday (26), after extensive repairs, railway trade unions said that an engine sent for repairs to DIMO Ltd., hadn’t been repaired due to negligence on the part of the administration.
For want of payment, it had been left there for over a year, they said. The company would have carried out the repair had the railway administration paid the cost of the repair in advance, they said.
President of the All Ceylon Railway Employees’ General Union, N. P. Vithanage told ‘The Island’ that although the cost of repairs had been estimated at Rs. 455,332, the money hadn’t been paid.
Although some officials had visited the DIMO premises to ascertain the progress of repair, they had turned a blind eye to the company’s position that it wouldn’t handle the job until payment was made. According to Vithanage, DIMO had promised to finish the repairs within a week upon receiving payment.
He said that that there was a shortage of engines and the department had been forced to cancel and restrict operations on a daily basis. Nothing could be as ridiculous as this, he said.
Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma directed ‘The Island’ to contact General Manager Railways Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan, who wasn’t available for comment.
By Dasun Edirisinghe
Source: The Island
Tags: administration, locomotive engines, money, negligence, railway employees, trade unions, tsunami
