ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel Tuesday questioned the privatisation of Railway trains and sought its complete detail in the next meeting.
The meeting of the Sub-Committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways was held under the convenership of Chaudhry Hamid Hameed here on Tuesday to discuss the encroachment on the railways land and mechanism to vacate the same from the encroachers, lease policies of railways land as well as operation of the railways trains along with its punctuality, and also the privatisation of trains by Pakistan Railways.
Briefing the committee, Railways officials said that the entire record of the railway land has been digitised.
More than 4,058 kanals of railway land in Wazirabad have been cleared of encroachments, while 181 acres of railways land has been encroached in Rawalpindi. The committee was informed that 241 acres of railways land was encroached by different government entities/organisations. Railway officials said that strategic land with
Questions raised over auction policy of Pakistan Railways
Rangers has been regularised.
What did the railways do about these encroachments, asked the convener committee. The committee was further informed that about 2,913 leases are about to expire.
Make a policy for those who build houses on railway land, said Member Committee Afzal Dhandla.
Regarding further lease of railway lands, the railway officials said that the new lease was banned by the Supreme Court for which a review petition has been filed.
Member Committee Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani also questioned the privatisation of trains and punctuality, on which the convener committee directed for the complete details of privatisation of trains, arrival and departure working hours. He further said that railways situation in Sukkur and Hyderabad will also be discussed.
Pakistan Railway Board does not exist, in fact, said committee members.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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