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Railways to change track from Authority to Department
The government is on an express track to abolish the controversial Railway Authority Act and is set to introduce legislation in parliament within the next few weeks.

Claiming that the Authority was already a dead-letter with the Railways Department back in operation, Transport Ministry Secretary Dr. D. S. Jayaweera said the legal draftsman was fine-tuning a draft bill that sought to revoke the Railway Authority Act.

His claim that the department was back on track is seen as a move to derail trade union action by the organization for the Protection of the Properties and the Rights of Railway Employees, which is also planning to stage a demonstration on August 29.

Railway employees are also demanding that measures should be taken to pay allowances and make overtime payments, which were curtailed during the UNF regime.

The Transport Secretary said they had asked the Treasury to sanction Rs. 25 million to settle allowance and overtime claims.

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