DailyMirror.lk:
The government has suspended the import of 17 power sets from India, until the completion of ongoing investigations into the quality of the recently imported power set from India, a minister said.
The first three power sets of a fleet of 20 were imported and one of them was put on track last Friday for the Ruhunu Kumari office train.
The inaugural journey faced a snag when the power set came to an abrupt halt near Hikkaduwa on its journey to Colombo from Matara last week. The new power set reached Colombo Fort two hours past the scheduled time. “We have already initiated an investigation into the suitability of these Indian locomotives.
We cannot let waste public funds for spurious imports,” Transport Minister Kumara Welgama yesterday said.
Minister Welgama also expressed his reservations about the quality of these power sets imported from India under an Indian Credit Line and added that a thorough test on the technical performance and the safety of passengers had to be conducted before the Indian power sets are put on track.
Minister Welgama lamented that the fleet of Indian power sets was imported at a cost of US$ 3.5 –approximately Rs. 370 million – each and it would be a huge waste of money if these power sets cannot be run on Sri Lanka’s rail tracks and safety measures are not met.
“I have appraised President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian High Commissioner Ashok Kanth about the developments,” Minister Welgama stressed.
The Sri Lanka Railways would never hesitate to terminate the contract to import power sets if the investigation report recommends so, he said.