Senate panel okays uplift scheme of railways

Minister suggests regulatory framework for organisation’s assets

ISLAMABAD:

Railway Minister Muhammad Azam Khan Swati told a Senate standing committee on Monday that courts were a major obstacle in implementing the development agenda of Prime Minister Imran Khan and appealed to the judiciary to strengthen the federal institutions so that they could benefit the nation.

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Railways, Swati said that the railways had risen from the ground and that the government was working day and night to turn it into a prosperous institution. He added that commercialisation of the railways was a priority of the government.

The committee, which met here with Senator Muhammad Qasim in the chair, approved the proposals for the Railways in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2022-23). The allocation for the projects was Rs46.3 billion.

Read: Railway project to be expedited

The committee was informed that good governance and revenue generation were the key parts of Pakistan Railways’ stabilisation plan. The officials said that the Railways Ministry would make every effort to ensure its implementation.

Swati lamented that the railway property was not being used for the benefit of the country. He stressed the need for a regulatory body to improve and streamline the accountability of organisation’s assets, including 186,000 acres of land.

The minister stressed that commercialisation of railways was a priority and added that land would be leased for commercial projects. When asked about various projects leased for a small amount, the minister assured the committee that he would look into the matter personally.

Swati said that railway lands had been divided into three different categories. He added that he was looking into the lease matter. He added that if someone was given a wrong lease in the past, the responsible person would be prosecuted.

Railway officials said that parts of the railway land were vacated with the help of the Supreme Court, including the Tijori Heights. To a query, the minister said that it was not the job of the Supreme Court to tell the department how to use its land. He appealed to the judiciary to strengthen the institutions.

The minister told the committee that trains to Iran could run within 30 days. He added that an important meeting would be held on the train service for Uzbekistan.