Responding during the question hour in National Assembly (NA), he said the total value of land given on lease in short-term basis during the year 2007-08 is Rs1822.466 million while the total value of land given on lease on long-term basis during the said period is Rs71.92 million.
He said the criteria adopted for short-term leasing is open public auction after giving wide publicity/advertisement in newspapers. He said the auction was held at the nearest major railways stations of sites and 50 percent bid money was recovered at the time of auction from the highest bidders.
Bilour said that the criteria adopted for long-term leasing was all railways lands intended for leasing were widely publicized throughout the country in at least one national English daily newspaper and one largest circulating urdu newspapers.
The Minister told the House that minimum reserve lease values were set keeping in view the price ascertained by Pakistan Banking Association accredited valuator and railways assessment of concerned division.
He said the bidding process was held by a 3-member committee of railways officers of accounts, property & land and marketing department in the presence of all interested parties in a transparent manner, adding, that bid results were presented to the Executive Committee of Railway Board for approval. Hajji Bilour said that no goods trains had been discontinued during the last three years and they were running according to their load destinations and not route-wise. He said that the total number of goods trains depended upon the availability of locomotives on goods pool. Giving the break-up of goods trains, he said, in the year 2007-08 total number of goods trains were 18181, in 2008-09 18815 while in 2009-10 its number was 14499. He said during the year 2009-10 availability of locomotives on goods pool decreased up to 52 against 90 during 2008-09, resultantly the number of goods trains decreased during that period. The Minister said that an air-conditioned marriage coach having a carrying capacity of 24 berths of AC Business Class and one bed room for the married couple was introduced for general public from January 7, 2008. The marriage coach, he said, could not gain the attention of general public and since its introduction; the marriage coach service was booked only on one occasion. He said the service had not been discontinued. He said the marriage coach was available for booking and was presently stable at the Lahore station.