Keep railway carriages clean- Transport Minister

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Transport Minister Kumara Welgama has directed the railway authorities to take immediate action to maintain cleanliness in railway carriages.

Although the Railway Department spends over Rs. 20,000 per day to clean the railway carriages, it had not been satisfactorily carried out in the past, Minister Welgama told the Sunday Observer .

The Minister has ordered the company in charge to show progress in their duties within a month.

The Minister said that he would take stern action against the company and railway authorities irrespective of their positions. "If the situation deteriorates further, even serpents may be found in railway carriages endangering commuters. Then the Government and Transport Minister will have to take the responsibility. No room for such incidents can be allowed", the Minister said.

Railway commuters have also complained to the Minister that carriages are not properly cleaned or maintained. Minister Welgama who immediately attends to their complaints had travelled from Aluthgama to Colombo in the Ruhunu Kumari. Following this train journey, the Minister had personally experienced the commuters' grievances and the Minister had visited the Dematagoda Railway yard and told the cleaners how to clean the carriages properly.