Technical trouble of power set:

Minister urges officials to rectify issue

Chaminda Perera

Transport Minister Kumara Welgama yesterday informed officials of the Indian company on technical and other issues in the S 11 power set which began its maiden journey from Matara to Colombo on March 11.

The Minister informed company officials that some in the society and the media have started accusing the Government of importing substandard and used power sets.

Welgama at a meeting with officials of the Indian company and Transport Ministry in Colombo yesterday added that these elements are finding fault with the Government due to technical failures in the newly imported power sets.

The Minister requested the company officials to rectify technical and other faults in the S 11 power set as per the agreement entered into by the Transport Ministry and the company. He informed the Company that it is bound to look into all sorts of technical and other faults in the power set within 90 days of its operation as per the agreement.

The Company officials told the Minister that the company has focused on the mechanical aspects of the train than the overall appearance and finish of the end product.

The officials have agreed that all faults in the power set would be rectified soon. They said that they would put in place a new mechanism to avert technical and other types of faults in the power set.

According to a Ministry spokesman, the Indian company has accepted that the engine failure that developed in S 11 power set was due to technical failure in its electric circuit.