The government on Friday gave green signal to the Ministry of Railways for provision of Rs 6.1 billion to revamp locomotives, it is reliably learnt. Sources said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was given briefing on the business plan of Pakistan Railways by its Chairman Arif Azeem during which the overall progress of PR was also reviewed.
Talking to Business Recorder, after attending the meeting of PR, officials said a summary would be put up to the upcoming Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet meeting for approval of Rs 6.1 billion to revamp locomotives. Sources further said the Prime Minister was unhappy over the cancellation of tender for purchase of 150 locomotives due to violation of Public Procurement Rules Authority (PPRA) and directed the Railways high-ups for fixing responsibility against those responsible for preparing defective tender documents in this regard. The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Petroleum to double the credit limit of fuel supply to Pakistan Railways to ensure smooth operation of the passenger and freight trains.
Pakistan Railways in a presentation said the Business Express Train operating between Lahore and Karachi, on the basis of Public Private Partnership is going well on commercial lines, and another train, Shalimar Express, will be launched on the same concept on February 25, 2012. The Prime Minister is expected to receive the train at Multan station.
Gilani directed that 50 percent locomotives that have been repaired be dedicated to the freight trains, which is critical to generate revenues for Pakistan Railways to make it profitable enterprise in due course. The Prime Minister was informed that the agreement between Pakistan Railways and National Logistic Cell (NLC) had been signed according to which 30 locomotives would be repaired by NLC. Half of which would be available to Railways while the remaining would be used for transportation of NLC freights exclusively.
It was also decided during the meeting to ensure procurement of locomotives on proactive basis as these were of fundamental importance in the process of rehabilitating Pakistan Railways. Gilani directed Railways to operationalise the train between Kasur, Raiwind, Lahore and Shahdara to provide efficient and affordable travel facilities to the people of Lahore and the people living around provincial capital.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission apprised the meeting that the restructuring of the Railway Board based on corporatization concept with the help of World Bank, was completed, which would be submitted to the government soon. The secretary railways said that Premnagar (Raiwind) dry port equipped with state-of-the-art facilities is operationalised and will ease up the pressure on Lahore dry port and provide efficient facilitation to the business community.
The Prime Minister was briefed about new initiatives, such as four trains and a Parcel Express to be operated on Public Private Partnership basis along with outsourcing of ticketing on some routes. He was also briefed on Gul Train, between Pakistan and Istanbul, which will pass through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. The meeting was attended by Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Minister for Railways, Dr Hafeez Sheikh Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance, Dr Nadeem-ul-Haq, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and other senior officials of respective ministries and Prime Minister's Secretariat.