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| Monday, 16 June 2003 |
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by Rajmi Manatunga Railway authorities yesterday refuted allegations made by a group of commuters that they were assaulted by some employees of the Maradana railway station last Monday. A clash had reportedly erupted in the station on Monday night between commuters and station employees when a group of commuters inquired of the station master and other officials about the cause of delay of the night train to Chilaw. Additional General Manager of the Railways Department Wasantha Ekanayake told the Daily News that it was the employees who had been attacked by several persons made restive by the delay of the 8.25 pm train to Chilaw. "There had been a delay of around 20 minutes during which around 50 commuters had force their way into the office and attacked the staff. The incident left two employees injured and caused damage to station property and an engine," he said questioning whether any railway employee will want to damage their own property like that. Ekanayake said that there were only five employees in the station office at the time of the incident. "This was in fact a very unpleasant incident and we deeply regret it. The staff at the Maradana and Fort stations decided to go on strike after the incident. But we managed to negotiate with them and ensure the continuance of the service," he said. Train delays have become a frequent occurrence nowadays and Monday's clash is the latest in a series of such conflicts between commuters and railway employees. The Maradana police is investigating the incident. |
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