An induction programme was held yesterday (10) at the Temple Trees, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena for the approved Recruitment and Promotion Procedure of Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Staff.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena addressing the attendees, said:
“In 1957, under the leadership of Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Minister Philip Gunawardena presented the Bill to Parliament to nationalise the private bus companies and establish the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB). At that time, there was a contentious debate in Parliament that we should take it unit by unit. However, Minister Gunawardena insisted that under this scheme, they should be taken in a single day. The depot employees throughout Sri Lanka occupied the bus depots throughout the night until the early hours of the morning.
The first bus that PM Bandaranaike nationalised still exists. The SLTB has always played an extremely important role in the economy, as it is a huge facility for the daily transportation of the people in distant villages and the transportation of light goods. We have given priority to transport schoolchildren. The other day, Minister Bandula and I went to Court when they tried to cancel the Scholarship season ticket. The Supreme Court ruled to protect this, as it belongs to the people. Therefore, the season ticket was protected for thousands of our schoolchildren.
We believe that, now there will be a great period that will transform the development of the SLTB. We have ended areas of frustrations and we have the ability to give the best to the people and especially, to the children of the country. I was also the Minister in charge of the SLTB a long time ago. At that time too, there were many such demands and battles. We were able to discuss and resolve them one by one, with each trade union.
Therefore, we need to protect this institution. Most of the public travel by bus. The backbone is the road that the common people of our country travel on a daily basis. No matter how much we talk about development and progress, most of the people still travel by bus. This is the reality. If this backbone is protected, the buses in distant villages will continue to run. Therefore, this should be protected.”
Minister of Transport Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana, in his address, said that, “Today is a turning point in the 67-year history of our country’s ‘Langama’, or Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), born in 1956. It is a historic day when the SLTB has incorporated a fixed system of Promotions according to a particular procedure, in the history of the SLTB.
The Prime Minister’s father, Philip Gunawardena, pioneered the establishment of the CTB through the South Weston bus strike. Mr. Philip Gunawardena is the only political leader who was jailed for the work he did for the public transport service.”
State Ministers Dilum Amunugama, Sisira Jayakodi, Members of Parliament Gamini Lokage, Yadamini Gunawardena, SLTB officials including President Lalith De Alwis, Secretary of Sri Lanka Public Transport Employees’ Society Nuraj Singh were among those whoparticipated in this event.
For an efficient and profitable transport service
– Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana
Minister of transport, Highways and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana said a procedure was established under the guidance of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, SLTB employees faced numerous difficulties due to the lack of due procedures for Recruitment or Promotions within the organisation for the past seven decades.
Speaking on this occasion, the Minister said, “The era where the Recruitments, Promotions and Dismissals of SLTB employees, influenced by politics, is now over”.
He stated that SLTB employees provide a respectable service to the nation, but the organisation incurs a loss of nearly Rs.10 million monthly, due to the frauds carried out by a few of them. If such activities are prevented, the organisation will be a totally profitable one.
According to him, the SLTB expects to spend Rs.20 billion for the monthly Season Pass issued to the schoolchildren this year, an amount which is similar to that has been allocated for the renovation of 1,500 kilometers of roads this year, said the Minister.
He said the transportation of schoolchildren under a concessionary fare is a great service provided by the SLTB.
According to the Minister, the SLTB is a huge organisation, which is not easy to manage. However, several parties leveled allegations against the President and the Cabinet of Ministers relating to some progressive steps taken for the development of this organisation.
Tender on purchasing tyres, purchasing 80 school buses from the Lanka Ashok Leyland Company and the buses imported under the Indian Credit Line are some of them, he pointed out.
Speaking further on the current Economic situation of the country, the Minister said Sri Lanka faces a Foreign Reserve shortage of US$ 5 billion in 2025. Sri Lanka is due to receive US$ 663 million from the IMF, US$ 600 million from the World Bank and US$ 300 million from the Asian Development Bank for this purpose. Sri Lanka will also receive another US$ 700 million from the IMF to finalize the Budget, the Minister said.
“Those who are expecting to come to power should tell the country how they are planning to run the country, if Sri Lanka does not receive such concessions. The true debate should be held on this topic”, he stressed.
Former Minister of Transport and MP Gamini Lokuge, former State of Transport and State Minister of Investment Promotion Dilum Amunugama, State Minister Sisira Jayakody, SLTB Chairman Lalith de Alwis and several others were present on this occasion.
The unstoppable SLTB that defied crises
– MP Gamini Lokuge
All the acting positions of the SLTB will be confirmed today. When we formed the government in 2020, a large number of officials who had been wronged were reinstated. When President Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated in 2015, the Ministers at that time removed many officials and appointed those with no qualifications as Depot Superintendents (DS). The Kesbewa DS was sent to the Bus Halt and the person who was in the Bus Halt was installed as DS. When we got elected, those mistakes were corrected. During the Covid crisis, you did great service in transporting patients and Health workers. At that time, buses were run for candidates for the Scholarship exam. In 1989, there was terrorism this country. They asked to close the shops, resign from government positions, and stop the buses. That day the Presidential candidate had a meeting in Piliyandala. We went down to the streets and asked them to open every shop. The SLTB was asked to run the buses. Shops opened and buses ran. When I went home after the meeting, I received a phone call. It said that the DS of the Kesbewa depot had been killed. I went to his home immediately. He had been killed at his home. His children were crying. No one had come to his house. I called the police and took the body to the hospital.
A large number of SLTB officials were killed by those terrorists. I proposed to identify them and make a document. The JVP did all that. The bus is given a note not to run. If the bus runs, the Depot Manager or the conductor and the driver were killed. Prabhakaran did not kill the drivers. SLTB officers were not killed by him. But, that day, the JVP brutally killed them. More than 25 buses were set on fire at the Katubedda depot. In the middle of all those problems, you ran buses and provided transportation facilities to the public.
People who were afraid to use their own vehicles traveled in SLTB buses. You fulfilled that duty that day. In recent days, there was a ‘Aragalaya” to drive out the former President of this country, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. All of you did not strike for one day. All other institutions went down to the streets. You didn’t go to Galle Face and you didn’t stop running the buses. SLTB is such a strong institution. We will do everything to resolve your issues by discussing with the trade unions.
Golden Age of the SLTB revives under Minister Bandula – Dilum Amunugama
We have heard people say that the golden age of the SLTB was during the time of Minister Anil Munasinghe. It will change from today, because the next golden age will begin with Minister Bandula Gunawardena. My opinion is that, if another Minister was in the seat at the moment, he would not have been be able to successfully perform the role.
Today is a happy day for me, personally. I felt the same joy as today, after President Mahinda Rajapaksa won the war, and I was elected No.1 in Kandy the District. Today I feel that same happiness again. The reason is that the SLTB is a unique institution. I have been saying since that time, that the Army after the three Armed Forces, is the SLTB. During the 30-Year War, it was the SLTB that was the transport ally. The SLTB transported not only the people of the border villages, but also the soldiers coming on leave. As a student, I saw for myself that our conductors and drivers were the ones who transported the soldiers. Our Officers also died along with soldiers in the Digampathaha bomb explosion. Our Officers died along with the soldier in Arantalawa and Kabithigolle.
During the Covid epidemic, even the doctors were not allowed to go out. We called our trade unions. The representative of the private bus driver’s association came and said that even though they would like to run buses, the conductor’s wives will not allow them to come. Nurses needed to transport patients. We asked you all to come forward. We were tormented by the question of whether we would be able to provide a bed in the hospital, if someone fell ill, when you came to work at our request. Oxygen tanks were brought and the Kalutara Driving School was turned into a fully equipped Covid hospital. Twelve patients had to be admitted there. But the morale of our Officers increased
There was a time when your wages were paid by daily collections. You all have raised it to this level today. For the first time in history, last year about Rs 2,000 million was given to the Treasury. From the time I can remember, this was the first time money was given to the Treasury. When government vehicles break down, they are sent to Mallakkam. It was learned that they are also to given permanent appointments next week. I am happy about that. The responsibility of building discipline within the SLTB is assigned to you. Minimise wastage, minimise theft, maximise discipline, maximise income and provide a committed service to the people.
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