Railways land worth Rs 10bn retrieved in one month: Senate told

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati on Thursday informed the Senate that railways encroached land worth Rs 10 billion has been retrieved in one month.

Replying to various supplementary questions, the minister said that railways police and senior officials, provincial police officials were also involved in encroachment of railways precious land.

He categorically said over dozen railways senior officials of grade 20-21 involved in the land encroachment were being sent on forced retirement.

He said land could not be encroached without the support of powerful and influential persons.

The Minister reiterated that Pakistan Railways would be made a profitable entity under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. A business plan was being prepared which would soon be unveiled to make it profitable entity, he said.

The outstanding amount payable to Pakistan Railways by the departments of Federal and Provincial Governments stood at Rs. 8375.04 million up to November 2020, he said.

Giving the breakup, he said the Federal Departments had Rs. 709.084 Million, Provincial Departments Rs. 1980.217 Million and Autonomous and Private Bodies Rs. 5685.736 Million.

He said he has also approached the provincial governments to recover the outstanding amount payable to Pakistan Railways.

He regretted that political appointments were made in the organization in the past.

The minister said the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) track has since been rehabilitated/revived from Karachi City to Orangi Stations (14 Kms out of 30 Kms of KCR loop section). The KCR route would be the same as existed before its closure. However, the passenger train service has been extended up to Marshalling Yard Pipri on Main Line, he said.