Railways on the verge of collapse, committee told

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The Pakistan Railways (PR) will have to end its operations and become a chapter of history if the government fails to curtail the losses that touched a record high of Rs45 billion in the current fiscal, despite Rs25 billion subsidy. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways while expressing its displeasure over transfer of Chairman Railways; warned the government to support the cash strapped entity through timely release of funds and the issuing of the notification of Railway Board; that could not be formed since January 2010. In the NA meeting chaired by Chairman Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the committee directed Minister for Railways, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, to finalise the policy and the mechanism for the evacuation of 2143.29 Acre encroached railway land and submit the report to the NA committee in the next meeting scheduled mid January 2012. The committee asked the ministry officials to draw the mechanism to stop the expansion of railway land encroached by people of Katchi Abadis.
The railway minister expressed his disagreement over the committee suggestion that government should appoint the Secretary, Chairman Railways, GM railways, and other key officials over BS-20 for at least three years as consecutive transfers on key posts were affecting the performance of railways. Bilour while showing his reservation over the suggestion said that it would be difficult for him to establish a working relationship with officials over whom he does not have the authority to transfer or replace. The NA committee asked the government to announce and form the Railway Executive Committee and Railway Board that could evaluate the performance of the officials and assign them targets to reform the loss making entity.
The committee was told that out of a total 494 locomotives; sixty per cent were over age. Committee was told that 277 locomotives are over 33 years old while only 122 locomotives were included in the Railway fleet in the last 17 years. The railway officials said that the average age of a locomotive according to international standards is 20 years while Pakistan Railways is still operating 53 year old locomotives. The railway officials briefed the committee that 100 locomotives would be repaired through public-private partnership; 96 locomotives would be repaired through Rs6.1 commercial loan while 46 locomotives will be repaired by railway cash revenue after which 349 operational locomotives would join the railway fleet.
Minister Railways said that due to Public Procurement regulatory authority (PPRA), the ministry is facing delay in the procurement of locomotives for the last two years. The NA committee directed the regularisation of 4385 railway workers and TLA employment mechanism within a month’s time. The committee asked the secretary railways to conduct a forensic audit for fixation of a clear cut responsibility of negligence, incompetence in case contaminated oil is used in railway engines. The locomotive oil should be changed with fresh oil after 120 thousand km while in Pakistan railway locomotives oil was not even changed after 275 thousand km that led to breakage of locomotives. The committee Chairman Sardar Ayaz Sadiq while giving his comments in the meeting said that delay in the release of funds by the finance division would lead railways to the brink of collapse. The committee appreciated the retrieval of 492 Acre railway land by the railway police in the last one and a half year.

3 COMMENTS

  1. pakistan railway ki badhaali k bary main zayada behter railways employees jantey houn gey, keh kon ha es ki tanazzali ka zummadar.

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