Finance Ministry releases Rs2b for Pakistan Railways

Finance minister to also provide Rs4 billion every month to PR to keep the trains running.


Express October 27, 2011

LAHORE: The Pakistan Railways (PR) received funds worth Rs2 billion from the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, reported Express 24/7.

According to sources, the Pakistan Railways will use this fund to pay salaries and pensions to their staff and retired workers.

Earlier, Pakistan Railways had given cheques of Rs366 million to the State Bank of Pakistan for the payment of the PR staff and pensioners.

According to General Manager Railways, Finance Minister Saeed Akhtar will provide Rs4 billion every month to Pakistan Railways to keep the rails on track.

This money will be used to buy oil, the repair of engines and the payment of pensions.

Retired Railways workers get seats and water instead of pensions

The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) authorities in Lahore started providing drinking water and seating facilities to Railways pensioners, who have to wait in long queues to receive their overdue pays.

National Bank administration have also pitched tents with carpets for the elderly, and set up water coolers to facilitate them.

On Wednesday, in an attempt to ease the pensioners' difficulties, Punjab government sent drinks and ambulances for them, and also provided them with meals; however, a 70-year-old man died waiting in the queue. He stood in queue all night outside National Bank of Pakistan’s Mughalpura Railways Workshop branch to get his long overdue pension of Rs4,000.

NBP’s branches across the city have started giving out pensions to the retired Railways workers, who have to wait for hours in long queues.

Railways chief accounts officer said on Tuesday they require Rs75 million to pay pensions to retired employees, while only Rs5.5 million were given out so far.  The official, Muhammad Akram, said Railways needs Rs2 billion from the government this week to pay salaries and pensions to its employees for the next month.

COMMENTS (6)

JJ | 12 years ago | Reply

Really? Its too EARLY..

Babar F. | 12 years ago | Reply

Shame on us that our rich don't have time & place to count, enjoy or hide the public money that they have stolen hand-over-fist while retirees & senior citizens are taking their last breath in line standing honestly to get their rightly earned income.

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