Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana said it was a great victory to launch the new luxury train ‘Dunhinda Odyssey’ and the tourist attraction ‘Calypso’, a wooden tourist train with observation cabins to coincide with the 100 years of train services to Badulla which was introduced by the British.
A special commemorative ceremony and cultural programme jointly organised by the Uva Provincial Tourism Board and the Railway Department was held at the Badulla Railway Station under the patronage of the Minister Dr. Gunawardhana to mark the occasion.
At the commemorative ceremony held at Badulla Railway Station, the Postal Department unveiled a special commemorative stamp and a first day cover.
Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana, Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, State Minister Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Badulla District Development Committee Chairman Maj. Sudarshana Denipitiya and other Ministers and officials, at the Badulla Railway Station, at the launch of the new train service.
The ceremony started after the ‘Dunhinda Odyssey’ train which started from Colombo Fort and the ‘Viceroy’ train specially run for the centenary commemoration reached Badulla Railway Station.
Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana said a new programme has been mooted to earn revenue using the lands owned by the Railway Department.
The Minister while noting that he had a long discussion with the Cabinet of Ministers on how to add new value through the proper management of the resources owned by the Railway Department said that the decisions taken in this regard will not be based on politics or favouritism and they will only be taken in accordance with the Railways Ordinance.
He said that notices will be published next week in relation to the measures taken related to the Railway lands and added that legal action will be taken against those who are occupying the Railway lands without permission.
The Minister went on to say: “The Railway Department owns a large amount of land. But in the past, the Railway land owned by the Government has been greatly misused. I had a long discussion with the Cabinet regarding this. In this regard, public notices will be published next week in the mainstream newspapers. We are planning to give a permit for those who have occupied land with or without permission for more than 10 years and are in the Voters’ List for the same period and have paid relevant taxes.
“Those who have occupied land with or without permission for more than 10 years can get this after paying the government assessor’s assessment charges. The Railways Department will take action under its Ordinance to prosecute all illegal settlers who do not conform to the above criteria.
“But as a relief to them too, permission will given to proceed according to the Budget proposal called ‘Station Plaza’. Accordingly, if a new programme is mooted using a part of railway station premises or Railway land for investments such as agriculture, we will take steps to deal with it in a transparent manner. We are hoping to do this in a transparent manner by submitting a project report and sending it to the Cabinet.
“We are ending the era of misappropriation of Railway property. We are hoping to end the era where the station masters or other officials and outsiders have held Railway lands illegally. We hope to do this in a more transparent manner.”
He also said that the government’s lands belong to the public. However they should be used by the public in a legal, transparent and profitable manner.
The Minister was speaking at a special event at the Badulla Railway Station to mark the launch of a new train called ‘Dunhinda Odyssey’ from Colombo Fort to Badulla recently to mark 100 years of train services to Badulla which was introduced by the British.
The Railway Department launched the new luxury tourist train, Dunhinda Odyssey on April 5.
This was done to coincide with the 100 years of train services to Badulla which was introduced by the British.
Dunhinda Odyssey will depart from the Colombo Fort railway station at 6.30 am and from Badulla at 8.00 am on weekdays.
The train will have first and second class compartments.
With the new addition, it is hoped that the Ella Odyssey will meet its current high passenger demand.
State Minister of Primary Industries Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Badulla District Development Committee Chairman Maj. Sudarshana Denipitiya, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Highways Ranjith Rubasinghe and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Chairman Dr. Prasad Samarasinghe were also present during the special tourist train’s inaugural journey.
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