• Need Rs. 7Bn to pay staff salaries each month

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

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 yesterday.   

“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.