Caltex donates Rs. 10 m for Northern railway extension

Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC, marketeer of Caltex, Havoline and Delo branded lubricants recently contributed Rs. 10 Million towards the 'Uthuru Mithuru' Yal Devi Friendship Rail Track Reconstruction Project, as an initiative to help rebuild prosperity in the Northern Province.

The Yal Devi train to Jaffna, first operated in 1956, had to be permanently closed in 1990 due to the conflict. As a post-war recovery program launched by the Sri Lankan Government, 'Uthuru Mithuru' was launched with the intention of restoring the connectivity between the North and the rest of the railway grid.

"We strongly believe that by reconnecting the Northern Province with the rest of the railway grid, we will be bringing communities together, thereby rebuilding the social structure of the country to a scale that will produce sustainable results of peace and development" commented MD/CEO of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC, Kishu Gomes.

"We are keen to see sustainable development in the North. This can only happen if the people in the North experience the freedom that existed before the war.

One of the main ways to create the desired atmosphere is to ensure physical connectivity between the North and the rest of the country. We therefore see this project as a bridge of fraternity between the people of the North and the South", he said.

For Chevron, corporate social responsibility has long been part of the organisation's values and the way it operates. Chevron is committed to contributing to social and economic development through its numerous projects in the community.

The renovation of the General Hospital, Matara amounting to Rs. 7 million and the refurbishment project of the Kandy railway station at a cost of Rs. 8 million are examples of Chevron's more recent endeavours.

Chevron has embarked on a national campaign on road safety together with the traffic police, to create awareness on safe driving practices.

The project involved a series of road shows and educational programs for school children as well as a program to recognise and reward safe drivers as a means of positive reinforcement of good behaviour, which was run in major cities across the country. The corporate responsibility projects identified and undertaken by Chevron are driven by a commitment to socio-economic development, based on research that considers the medical, social, economic, and cultural dynamics shaping the future of Sri Lanka.