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Monday, 9 September 2013 00:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
“The railway tracks from Omanthai to Kankesanthurai and Medawachchiya to Talaimannar were completely destroyed during the devastating civil war and the Government of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa is pleased to restore transportation facilities to the people of the area,” said Minister Welgama
The reconstructed track is a 63 km long segment in the prestigious Northern Railway Line project of 252 km route length, which is being executed by Ircon International, a Government company under the Ministry of Railways India.
The project is funded by the Government of India under the Indian Lines of Credit. This track segment between Omanthai and Kilinochchi will be dedicated to the nation by the President of Sri Lanka by mid September at a function in Kilinochchi.
Welgama went on to say that it was the intention of the Government to restore normalcy to all parts of the country and ensure convenient and affordable transport for all.
Gupta said the completion and commissioning of the Northern Railway tracks not only signalled the return of normalcy to Sri Lanka, but further cemented the good relations between India and Sri Lanka.
“Indo Lanka relations have been further strengthened as a result of the Government of India extending its support to the Government of Sri Lanka to rebuild the 252 km route length track along with signalling and telecommunication work under the Indian lines of credit. India has always been assisting Sri Lanka in its all round economic development. The reconstructed railway track is designed with a speed potential of 120kmph. Rail joints are minimised using modern welding technology. Pre-stressed concrete sleepers have been used to lay the track, instead of traditional wooden sleepers to ensure a durable and stronger track. CMS (Cast Manganese Steel) crossings with standard turnouts, long welded rails with switch expansion joints, panel interlocking, flash butt welding, etc. have been incorporated to provide a long lasting track, with minimal maintenance effort. For execution of the project, local manpower and agencies have been deployed to generate local employment as well as skills development. The project is scheduled to be completed in phases and all phases are progressing well within the stipulated timelines,” said Gupta.
In addition, Ircon International has involved itself in a host of community activities in Sri Lanka. CSR is part of Ircon’s core business and Ircon focuses on Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives where there is value creation in the longer term, thus demonstrating its commitment and respect to all its stakeholders.
IRCON’s social commitments are carried out in five key focus areas; namely, education, health, community development, generation of self employment and the empowerment of women. Last year, Ircon completed many projects under their CSR initiatives in Sri Lanka. These projects included the construction of a 100 sqm Community Hall at Matugama, a fully-furnished Primary Health Centre with brand new ambulance facility at Medawachchiya and Mankulam, a Community Hall at Mannar, and waiting benches for passengers at the Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa railway stations.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme, Ircon distributed computers and computer furniture to five under-privileged schools in the Matugama district to promote computer education among school children from economically depressed groups. Welgama handed over the computers and the furniture to all five schools when the Minister visited these schools along with Gupta.
Students of Maliyadeva Primary School, Pelenda Tamil School, Uskvali Tamil Vidyalaya, Pelenda Maha Vidyalaya and Pelenda Muslim Vidyalaya benefited from this project. All these schools had no access to computer education previously and the students, school management and parents expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Ircon and the Minister for their compassionate gesture, thereby making a dream come true for them.
As part of their contractual commitments, Ircon imported three locomotives to Sri Lanka in March 2013 which were commissioned and are currently in use. Three additional locomotives were also handed over to augment the progress of the Northern Railway Projects. The locomotives which arrived in Sri Lanka end July will be commissioned shortly and work is currently progressing at the Ratmalana Yard of the Sri Lanka Railways under the skilled supervision of a special technical team from Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi.
The Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, India, is the production unit owned by Indian Railways that manufactures diesel-electric locomotives along with its spare parts. It is the largest diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer in India. These locomotives are supplied by Ircon International, the construction agency for the Northern Railway Projects.
These three new diesel locomotives under the Northern Railway contract reached Sri Lanka at the end of July 2013. DLW India sent a special technical team comprising nine technicians, headed by Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer Atul Kanaujia to overlook the commissioning and handing over of the locomotives to Sri Lanka Railways.
“The restoration of railway facilities to the people of the north is a source of great satisfaction to the President and his Government and we, together with Ircon, look forward to handing over this segment of railway track to the people,” said Minister Welgama.
