Donate salary for Jaffna railway track fund

Minister appeals to public, private sectors:

Ananda Kannangara

Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratne yesterday appealed to the public and private sector employees to donate a day’s salary towards the Colombo-Jaffna railway track reconstruction fund Uthuru-Mithuru, which was officially launched by the Government last week.

“The objective of raising funds from these sectors is to re-construct the rail track to meet the targeted expenditure of Rs. 700 million towards the project,” Minister Seneviratne told the Daily News.

The Minister said at the moment when President Mahinda Rajapaksa donated his April salary to this worthy cause, it is the duty of other citizens also to contribute at least a day’s salary for the project, which would help to reunite the bond between various communities in the North and South.

He said he would issue a release in this regard within the next few days and requested all citizens to join in the construction process of the railway track which was damaged due to the conflict in the North and East.

“Employees in the Presidential Secretariat, Motor Vehicle Commissioner’s Department and a large number of Sri Lankan expatriates too have extended their co-operation towards the fund,” he said.

Director (Planning), Railways S.W. Munasinghe said the total cost for the entire 160 km new railway track is Rs. 15,000 million and it will be constructed stage by stage from Vavuniya to Kankesanturai.

“There is no need for any repairs to the track now in use between Colombo to Vavuniya,” he said.

He said there are 12 fully fledged stations and 14 sub stations from Vavuniya to Kankesanturai while it was expected to run the Yal Devi train this month.