Railways Revenue increased from Rs 2.6 Bn to Rs 11.6 Bn – Minister Dr. Bandula Gunewardhana

In response to requests from the Railway Trade Unions (TU) and, with Cabinet approval, the senior most Engineer in the Railway Department (RD) was appointed its General Manager, said Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunewardhana.

The Minister was speaking at the appointment of Engineer H.M.K.W. Bandara as the 32nd General Manager (GM) of the RD.

Engineer Bandara was educated at Nugawela Central College and Matale Science College, and graduated in Engineering from Peradeniya University. He obtained his Postgraduate Degree from Moratuwa University.

He joined the RD in 1996 as an Assistant District Engineer and was a District Engineer, Deputy Chief Engineer, Chief Engineer (Roads and Industries) and Additional GM (Infrastructure).

The Minister said that, “about a year-and-a-half ago, the President entrusted me with the responsibility of this subject. The RD was beset with strikes and problems. It was the opinion at that time that the RD can never be developed and should be privatized. People were of the above opinion due to constant delays and sudden strikes hampering their daily transport”.

“After I accepted this responsibility, I told the TUs that, if they have any issues, they should discuss it with the GM, and if they do not get a solution, they should discuss with the Secretary of the Ministry, and if they do not get a solution, they can meet me at any time. Accordingly, I am the Minister who has met these TU leaders from time to time and presented the largest number of Cabinet papers regarding the RD within a short period of time. We made a difference in the railway culture. If I am in this country every week, the GM of Railways and other high officials must attend the meeting of the Ministry”.

3000 workers were recruited for permanent employment at a time when there was no recruitment for public service. Due to good management during that period, the annual expenditure of RS 48 billion was reduced to Rs 42 billion. Revenue increased from Rs 2.6 billion to Rs 11.6 billion.”

“But due to state of the economy of the country we could not develop on a large scale. We have asked for money from the next Budget as well. What we have is 60-70 year-old engines. Since we could not get even one locomotive, we negotiated with the Indian High Commissioner and the Government of India to get 20 engines, because they are now running electric trains in India. They agreed to give 23 engines”.

“The railway from Mahawa to Omanthai is being built according to an agreement that was signed and tendered long before I took over the railway ministry. I put forward a Cabinet paper to make the department an authority, to maintain a more efficient service, without privatising it.

The President has appointed an expert committee of two former Railway GMs to find out what changes should be made in the railway service due to that Cabinet paper”.

“The goal is for every country in the world to use electric power for most of its transportation by 2030 and completely by 2050.” the Minister said.

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