Omanthai station - our own labour, funds

Nadira Gunatilleke

The first ever railway station in Sri Lanka built by Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry at a cost of Rs. 26 million with all modern International level public facilities will be opened at Omanthai on December 31, Social Services and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lionel Premasiri told the `Daily News' yesterday.

Deputy Minister Premasiri said this is the first ever Sri Lankan railway station to be built with public funding and voluntary labour.

The Ministry took over the task of building the Omanthai Railway Station.

The station will be eco-friendly and without any gap between the platform and the train.

Usually there is about one metre gap between the platform and trains in all the other stations.

Once completed the station will have all modern facilities available at railway stations in developed countries.

According to the Deputy Minister the station will have access facilities for disabled and elders using wheel chairs.

All name boards and notice boards will be available in braille mode for the use of blind persons and large digital screens will display train time tables for deaf people. Loudspeakers will also be available. Pregnant mothers will have special facilities at this railway station including rooms to stay for a day or two. Blind people's white cane or their feet can feel the special tiles of the floor of this station. There will also be a mini super market similar to those available at filling stations.

Electricity will be provided for this station using solar power and no foreign funding will be used for the entire project.

The public can contribute towards this project by donating money (Account number 9505535 at Bank of Ceylon, Battaramulla branch), material or labour. Labour can be volunteered by construction workers/professionals for a certain number of days. More details can be obtained from calling 0713777666, said the Deputy Minister.

Lionel Premasiri Foundation, UDA, CGR, armed forces, the police, Swarnavahini and many other organisations are supporting this project.

The Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry has already made arrangements to provide access facilities to public buildings and State buildings, he added.