If the project goes through this time, the people of Karachi will be able to catch a train every five minutes at all 24 railway stations. PHOTO: KUTCKCR.COM
KARACHI: The Sindh government and Pakistan Railways have formed a working group to fulfil the legal requirements to hand over administrative control of the Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) and right of way tracks of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) to the provincial government.
This decision was taken during a meeting between Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and federal minister for railways Khawaja Saad Rafique at CM House on Friday. The CM was assisted by transport minister Syed Nasir Shah, additional chief secretary of development Mohammad Waseem, principal secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch, transport secretary Tuaha Farooqui and finance secretary Hassan Naqvi. The federal minister was assisted by a three-member team.
The CM said that he had revived the KCR project with heart and soul. "I have held a number of meetings and taken this issue to the Chinese authorities to include it in the [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)] and I assure my efforts will bear fruit," he said, adding that other avenues will also be explored to get financers to invest in this project.
He said that the length of the original KCR project is 43.12 kilometres and would cost around $2.61 billion. He explained that the present scope of the project has been enhanced. "This would cover the entire city, including industrial areas and residential areas," said Murad.
The chief minister and federal minister agreed that a new feasibility report should also be conducted through international bidding so that future requirements of the KCR can be covered. However, starting the project must be the main focus, for which Murad said he would visit China to attend the Joint Council for Cooperation meeting to take up this project as part of CPEC by the end of the month.
History
The KCR was commissioned in 1964 and remained an effective mass transportation system till 1984. Its operational efficiency was adversely affected due to level crossings, which resulted in increased running time and lack of investment, which also resulted in reduced number of trains. Therefore, the operational efficiency kept deteriorating, resulting in a reduction of passengers and its subsequent closure in December, 1999.
At the behest of the federal government, Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) carried out a study in 2008 and filed its report in 2009. Jica proposed to provide soft loan but it never materialised.
In 2008, the KUTC was formed with 60% shares belonging to Pakistan Railways, while the remainder were divided between the Sindh government and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, with 25% and 15% respectively. The CM, in order to start the KCR project, devised a plan to take over administrative control of KUTC.
Discussing his move, Murad said that he had written a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif requesting him to hand over ownership of the KUTC and support the Sindh government's plan to have the KCR project taken up in CPEC and give a guarantee for the KCR project.
Working group
Rafique said that the prime minister has agreed to hand over administrative control of KUTC and has assured the Sindh government of his full support. He and Murad have agreed to form a working group to evolve a mechanism to hand over the management to the Sindh government. The group will comprise Waseem, Farooqui, the Karachi commissioner and ministry of railways' chief engineer Bisharat, Karachi divisional superintendent and chief marketing manager. They will start holding meetings from next week.
During the meeting it was agreed that 260 acres of Pakistan Railways land would be given to the Sindh government for construction of the KCR. It was pointed out that there were 3,600 encroachers along the KCR route; therefore, the CM directed his team to work out a plan to remove encroachments.
Meanwhile, it was decided that besides moving forward with the JICA study, the Sindh government would also invite international firms to conduct another study of the project as its scope has increased considerably.
Upgrades: ‘Sindh is ready for KCR’
In a new development, railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has announced the handing over of the major share of the Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) to the Sindh government and has shown interest in including the Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Rafique, while addressing a press conference at Karachi’s City Railway Station on Friday, said that the lead role in the KCR will be of the Sindh government, adding that this will be a joint venture.
“We have advised the chief minister to give alternative residence to the encroachers on the KCR land,” he said, adding that earlier the Sindh government did not show any interest in the project but the incumbent chief minister, Murad Ali Shah, is a competent man.
In Lahore, he said that railway tracks along with the residential areas are being turned green and in Sindh they have advised Shah to clean and turn the railway track green near residential areas. Even the railway track from Karachi to Lahore will be renovated under CPEC, claimed Rafique.
With the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, he said that the railway track from Peshawar to Lahore will be improved. Coal operation will kick off from January, 2017, via Pakistan Railways, from which Pakistan Railways will earn Rs6 billion yearly, said the minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2016.
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