A piece of legislation that, if enacted, will provide for the conversion of the Railway Department into a corporation will be brought soon, Minister Bandula Gunawardena told Parliament today.
“We need Rs. 7 billion to pay salaries to the staff of the Railway Department every month. How can the Department sustain itself at this rate? This is why we are preparing legislation to convert the department into a statutory body. We need the support of all the MPs to for it, ” the minister said.
He said issues pertaining to recruitment and training of staff is handled by the Public Service Commission. “I cannot resolve the issues pertaining to recruitment and training as these matters are handled by the Public Service Commission,” he said in response to MP K. Nelson who said it takes ten years to train persons as fully-fledged engine drivers.
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